Shining Star
by Summoner Angel
Summary: as insanity grips Yuna and chaos ensues, a voice is heard calling out. it is summoning Yuna, Rikku, and Paine...what does it want? who is it? R&R please
1. Sand and Moon

HEY ALL!!! summoner angel here with a brand, spankin' new story! YAY! its been a looong time since i submitted anything 'cuz my computer's been less than helpful *sweatdrops* anyhoo, i hope you enjoy my FFX-2 fanfic. R&R please and thank you! ~~~summoner angel~~~  
  
DISCAIMER: I don't own any of the characters in this story 'cuz SquareEnix owns them all *growls*. oh poopie! i guess i can always make up my own! *bows low* please don't pull a law suit on me! *winks*  
  
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Chapter 1: Sand and Moon  
  
Rikku smiled with all the rest of them, grinning uncontrollably when she saw Yuna run to his open arms. It was touching and incredibly wonderful, considering she had to listen toYuna gripe for two whole years about it. She looked over at Paine, attempting to relay these emotions without speaking. Paine seemed to get it and nodded, smiling widely. Paine always got it, no matter what language Rikku spoke. The bouncy blonde figured Gippal had taught Paine Al Bhed when they were doing that Crimson Squad thing together. Just as Rikku saw Tidus lead Yuna towards the shore, the small Al Bhed felt a brief flash of sorrow and lonliness. Paine started jogging for the shore, too, and then she really was alone. Wringing her partially gloved hands, Rikku shoved that horrible shadow of sadness to the side and grinned. Nodding, clapping, and skipping a little, she slipped back into normal Rikku-Mode; the Hide-What-You're-Feeling-So-No-One-Sees-You-Crying Mode.  
  
It was only after all the partying and reminiscing about the past that Rikku was finally alone. They were spending the night in Besaid and were camping out in the small clearing just outside the village. The sounds of the older guys still going at it near the fire pit kept her awake, but other than that, it was silent. Luckily, they had found a way to seperate Yunie and her Tidus shadow so everyone could sleep in peace. Staring up at the clear-bright stars, Rikku remembered something from their journey two years ago.   
  
~Flashback~  
  
They were camping out in Macalania Forest, right after the trouble with Seymour in Bevelle. She was trying to sleep and Auron was on guard, near the fire at the center of their camp. Yuna had already returned from the spring, flushed and soaking. Tidus was supposed to be on guard with Auron, but he was curled up at the legendary guardian's feet, obviously exhuasted from something. Auron snorted as Tidus murmured in his sleep and rolled over. Rikku got up and silently sat next to the looming figure of Auron. His good eye darted to her, perceptively taking in her fear of reaching Zanarkand. "We're almost to Zanarkand, you know. Just have to head through the Calm Lands and up Gagazet." He said quietly, more a question than a statement. Rikku, sighing heavily, nodded as she drew her knees up to her chest.   
  
"I know. There just has to be a way to save Yunie, ya know? I mean, she doesn't HAVE to die, right?" A long silence followed in which Rikku started crying. She hated to cry in front of people but this was unbearably aweful. Auron was the last person she wanted to show emotion in front of, especially after the Thunder Plains incident. But, at that moment, she couldn't have cared less about what Auron thought. She bawled quietly into her knees, rocking back and forth. Softly, Auron started to hum the Hymn of the Fayth in a gruff sort of way. She suspected he was trying to comfort her the only way he knew how. Auron's humming grew louder as Rikku's sobs softer and soon, they were both humming the Hymn. ~End~  
  
Rikku flashed back to current day, staring at the stars of Besaid Island. Deciding she would never get any sleep out in the jungle like that, she silently slipped away from the camp. Trying not to think of her lost mentor or the hundreds of fiends that were most likely watching her from the trees, the small Al Bhed hurried along the path out of the village. It was a warm, balmy night in Besaid, but Rikku was shivering. Quickening her pace, she attempted to hum the Hymn to comfort herself when a fiend growled loudly in the bush. The melody slipped away from her and all she was left with was the empty glimpse of Auron she had seen on the Farplane. He had been floating right there, but she couldn't hear his gruff laughter or just barely make out a smile over the rim of his coat collar. It wasn't him. 'Just a memory. Memories are nice, but that's all they are.' Rikku reminded herself, nodding as she rounded the bend at the crossroads where the shrine was.   
  
Glancing at the shrine, Rikku thought of how happy Wakka and Lulu were all the time. They were a perfect couple, working gracefully together to take care of their son or to cook for the Gullwings. They balanced each other out so sweetly and it pained Rikku to think of them. She was happy for them and all that, but it made her think of a time when she could've sworn she'd be that happy wife one day. Smiling as her lanky husband bumbled in looking confused, having to chide him for being late again while he blamed it on his blonde hair, falling asleep in his arms while the desert sang its night song. Tears welled up in her emerald eyes, glimmering in the clear starlight. Turning to her left, she ran down the sloping path to where there was a sea of sorts. Taking a running start, Rikku leapt off the small cliff and into the warm salt water with a soft splash. She let the water engulf her and hold her tightly in its liquid arms, forgetting the world and all its trials.   
  
When she came up for air, RIkku drank in the warm night greedily. 'I just want to fade, like TIdus did. Then I wouldn't have to play happy and smile all the time. I just can't stand being so fake. What about my heart? Who's going to suggest a quest to regain my lost love?' Bitterly, Rikku thought of how everyone always paid attention to Yuna and all HER problems. Seriously, they were cousins and Rikku never got a second glance. A vivid event stuck out in her mind like a sore thumb. Once, when Yunie, Paine, and Rikku had visited Djose Temple, Gippal had somewhat affectionately referred to her as "Cid's girl" while showering praise all over Yunie. Huffing like an injured cow, Rikku swam angrily all the way to the shore by the beach. She stomped across the white sand beach that glowed silver in the moonlight towards the silent Celsius. Everyone was up at the village, so she had the ship to herself. She could even steal it, if she wanted to. Smirking at the thought of leaving all her oblivious friends here, she paused to look back at the island.  
  
The sand and the moon, they seemed so sad somehow. 'How could sand seem sad?' She wondered as she turned to the ship. Then, it flooded back to her; that night in the desert. Rikku saw herself standing on top of a sand dune shivering fitfully in the cold desert night wind. She was waiting for someone to show up, holding onto a coin strung on a simple chain. "Oh, where is he? He's ALWAYS late!" She groaned through chattering teeth. Rikku recalled that this was two years ago, before her journey with Yuna. She had been living happily in Home until that night. She had been happily dating a certain tall Al Bhed guy until that night. She hadn't had a care in the world, living honestly care-free, until that night.   
  
~Flashback~  
  
She was gripping the coin with all her might as she shivered in the pale moonlight. Suddenly, two long arms wrapped themselves around her and the familiar mixture of gasoline, machina oil, and a hint of some kind of soap washed over her. "Sorry I'm late." The lilting voice spoke in Al Bhed from above her head.Rikku whirled around, still in the circle of arms created by the taller guy. "Gippal!" She squeaked, wrapping her arms around his waist lovingly. He chuckled, messing up her hair oh-so-maturely. Rikku play punched him and giggled when he feigned injury. "How long were you waiting?" He ventured, running a dirty looking hand through his spikey hair. Rikku glanced down at the coin in her hand and then glared up at Gippal. "A loooong time, meanie!" She spat, placing her hands adamantly on her hips. Gippal threw his hands up, mockingly. "Sor-ry! Your Pops sure does like to work a man to his bones. Oh, how I ache!" He moaned, rubbing his lower back and groaning. Rikku giggled and shoved him playfully. "You're not a man! Shut up!" Gippal whimpered, staring at his feet.  
  
Suddenly, as if by some incredible whim, glanced back up at Rikku with a mischievious glint in his eyes. "Rikku, I'm not a man yet 'cuz I'm waiting for you to make me a man." Rikku blushed crimson, blessing the night for being dark. "Shut up! Omigod!" She screeched, turning away from him in an attempt to hide her embarassment. Gippal cracked up. "Come on! You know I was playing, Rikku." He purred, sliding his slinky arms around her waist possesively. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed happily. Rikku smiled and placed her hands over his, closing her eyes and wishing that this could last forever. But, just as the moon neared the rim of the desert, Gippal spoke again. His voice was soft and gentle, as if by being quiet and gentle about it would make the news easier to bear. "Rikku, I'm going to leave Home and join the Crusaders. I want to protect you from Sin. But, I'll be away for who-knows how long and-" "WHAT?!?! The Crusaders? Are you crazy?" Rikku had pulled herself away from him and was staring, shocked and horrified.  
  
Gippal shrugged. "I feel so helpless here while Sin attacks whenever it feels like it. I mean, what would happen if it attacked Home one day and it...and it...what if I couldn't protect you?" He cried, his hands were clenched into fists and his eyes looked fierce. "I couldn't live with that! I can't watch you die, Rikku! I have to go stop Sin before that happens! I have to!" Rikku felt the hot tears spilling down her cheeks just as the sky gained its dawn blush. Gippal was heaving in deep breaths, fighting the urge to break down. He fell to his knees during her next statement. "But, what if you die saving me? Then what? How do you think I could live with that? Knowing you were trying to protect me and you died? Huh? How is that fair?" Rikku knew he had been planning to leave, but the Crusaders? That was insane!   
  
Rikku glanced through tear-streaming eyes at the coin in her hand. When they were kids, Gippal had found in it the Cactaur Nation outskirts and given it to her. He said it reminded him of her. It was a gold coin with some kind of complicated symbol on the back and the image of a shining, flowing goddess whose robes became the desert sands. Later on in life, Gippal told her it was the ancient Desert Goddess, Ahir who had protected their ancestors for ages. He had also given the coin to her as a sort of symbol of their relationship. Back then, in the innocence of childhood, they had been best friends; inseparable. They grew up and their friendship blossomed into a powerful bond of deep, true love. Rikku gripped the coin tightly before kneeling in front of Gippal.   
  
"Gippal," She breathed, staring straight at the sun as it broke across the sky. "Promise me that you'll come back here, to this spot when Sin is gone and the Calm is for real. Promise me that you'll come back to me, in one piece." Rikku opened her hand and held out the coin to him. He stared at it and then at her face, studying it to remember forever. "I promise." She smiled weakly and slipped the coin on its chain around his neck. Her hands slid to his face and she held that usually open and bright face dearly. He tried to smile, but only grimaced. She nodded, knowing what he was thinking without having to hear it. Gippal silently pulled her closer, kissing her one last time. ~End~  
  
Rikku found herself on her knees sobbing when she pulled herself back to reality. Wiping her tears away, she hurried to punch the code into the panel to open the door to the ship. She ran in, forgetting to close it behind her and ran all the way to the cabin, where she slept fitfully.  
  
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AN: sooooo, what did you think? good, bad, ugly, tre poopy? i guess its been awhile since i wrote fanfiction and my original fiction's dark and moody. hence the angsty feel here. if Rikku is, in your opinion, OOC let me know! love you all! please review!!!! *smoochies* ~~~~sa~~~~ 


	2. Once Again

Hey all! *sniffles* thanks sooooo sooo SOOO much for the awesome reviews. its really encouraging to here that people actually LIKE my story. I updated a LOT! hope you keep loving it! peace! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Chapter 2: Once again  
  
"Rikku..." An oddly familiar voice whispered while Rikku felt the odd sensation of warm lips on her forehead. Gloved hands gently cupped her face and the voice spoke again. "Rikku, so meddma cdyn. Fyga ib." (Rikku, my little star. Wake up.) Rikku moaned a little and smiled in her sleep. She didn't want to wake up as long as he was there. She was afraid if she opened her eyes he'd disappear like he always did in her dreams. Rikku felt his hands slip from her face to her waist and felt him shift his weight around on the bed. He was lying next to her now. So, she turned onto her side so she was facing away from him and her back was pressed against him. He pulled her closer, whispering more in Al Bhed. "Rikku, meddma lidea, fyga ib. Fruy, oui'na payidevim frah oui cmaab." (Rikku, little cutie, wake up. Whoa, you're beautiful when you sleep.) His voice got a little louder and she could tell his face was VERY close to hers. His lips brushed up against her cheek gently. Rikku waited until he kissed her lips to open her eyes, knowing he kissed with his eyes closed. She slowly slipped her hands up to hold his head, pulling him closer down.   
  
He jerked back in surprise, as if he thought she was actually asleep. Rikku burst out laughing and shoved him off her bed. He landed with a thud and a "Oof!" She leapt off her bed to land where his head lay on the ground. "Gippal, oui'na myda!" (Gippal, you're late!) Gippal chuckled and sat down, rubbing his head were it had slammed into the ground. "Cunno, lidea." (Sorry, cutie.) Rikku smirked and crossed her arms huffily. "Don't use that sweet talk on me, sicko!" She cried, switching to the common tongue and shaking her head. He rolled to his feet, motioning over his shoulder. "Hey, if I hadn't decided to be a sicko and sneak into your bedroom, those fiends woulda eaten that pretty little head without thinking twice." Rikku gasped when she glimpsed the pyrefly streaming corpses of several fiends lying at the end of the cabin's sleeping quarters. "Oh." She muttered, her hands falling limply to her sides. Gippal nodded, as if that were thanks enough. He fixed the belt things on the front of his shirt nonchalantly.   
  
Rikku blinked suddenly, as if realizing that Gippal had just been all over her and affectionate. Did that mean he wanted her back? She let her gaze fall from his aloof face to his neck were a gleam of faded gold caught her eye. She launched herself at his throat, praying that the coin was still on the chain, hidden under his shirt. "Whoa! Rikku! Slow down!" He laughed at his own joke until he noticed what she was gripping in her hand. Her eyes were glazed over, the coin reflected in them both sadly. "You still have it." She whispered, barely audibly. Gippal took a deep breath. "Yeah, of course I do. Did ya think I was gonna pawn it or something?" He laughed nervously. Rikku backed away from him, letting the coin fall back onto his chest. "You still have it." She whispered again, a mix of shock and happiness dripping from her voice. Gippal studied her face, trying to discern her mood, but failed when she turned away. "Uh, Rikku?" He uttered, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder. To his surprise she jumped away, glaring at him angrily. "What?" He cried, starting to get confused by this. She seemed sorta happy he still had the coin, so why was she pulling away?   
  
Her eyes burned with an emerald fire as she regarded the man she loved when she turned back around. "If you still had it, where were you?" Her voice was angry and it shook as if she were fighting her tears. Gippal flinched, closing his good eye in a defensive manuever. He knew she would get to that. "Rikku..." He said, slightly sadly but more frustrated sounding. "No!" Rikku stomped as she yelled this. "No! Don't 'Rikku..' me! I remember the promise you made even if you don't! I waited for you, Gippal!" She yelled until her voice cracked and tears started falling from those mesmerizing eyes. He shook his head. "Rikku, I hoped you'd understand. I couldn't come back to Home. I was being looked for by Yevon." Rikku scoffed at him, angrily wiping her tears with her scarf. "Whatever! Great excuse! I guess your next line is 'And then when I did get the chance to go Home you were already gone with Yuna. I didn't know where to look for you.' Right?"   
  
Gippal was slightly staring at the ground, shame written on his face. He was utterly silent. "RIGHT?" Rikku yelled, her fists clenched against her rage. Before anything else could happen, Brother burst through the door with Buddy and Shinra. The mohawked Al Bhed looked from the outraged Rikku to the shamed Gippal and immediately went into Big Bro Defense Mode. "Gippal!?! Fryd yna OUI tuehk rana?" (Gippal!?! What are YOU doing here?) Buddy and Shinra seemed just as surprised. Rikku threw her hands up and put on a smile, banishing her anger to calm down Brother. "He was just leaving! Weren't you, Gippal?" She spat his name like a curse and he nodded. A grin slipped onto his lips as he jumped down off the sleeping platform. "Hey, Brother! Sorry to just barge onto your ship, but I figured the fiends needed to be wiped out before you guys could take off. Later." He was just turning to go when Shinra stopped him. They had a rushed conversation in Al Bhed while Brother and Buddy interrogated Rikku.   
  
"What was he doing here? In my ship?" Brother yelled in halting common-speech. Rikku sighed and shook her head. "He just wanted to keep the fiends from hurting me is all. I came out here to sleep last night. There's just somethin' about the feel of metal around you to keep you safe, right?" She threw in a giggle and the two guys relaxed. Buddy nodded. "Well, as long as he didn't touch you, I'm sure we're fine. Oh, Yuna and the others are worried sick about you. You should head up to the village before we leave." Rikku nodded and started walking away when she actually HEARD what Buddy had just said. "Wait, we're leaving? Already?" Brother nodded, a rare thoughtful crease in his forehead. "Yes. Yuna and her man are happy here in Besaid so we are not needed." Rikku stomped repeatedly, a little angry dance (if you played the game, you know what I'm talking about!). "What about me and Paine? Huh?" Brother met his sister's gaze without wavering. "We're leaving. You do what you want, Rikku." He turned and pushed past Gippal and Shinra, who were still talking animatedly.   
  
Rikku turned to Buddy who shrugged and jogged to follow Brother. She sighed and glanced up through the windows at the tropical landscape of Besaid. 'Could I really stay here?' She thought, moving slowly up the stairs to gaze down at the island. It was so peaceful and picture perfect there. Everyone was so happy to live in the lazy heat of the island while the world turned on its turbulent axis. A breeze ran through the palm trees, rippling the waters. She spotted a familiar figure running out of the trees, the Aurochs following him closely. Tidus tossed a blitzball up into the air and caught it after back flipping near to the water. The others laughed and watched while he demonstrated his famous Jecht Shot. Tidus shouted something to them and they all plunged into the water, playing random training games.  
  
Rikku watched, a small smile on her lips. Tidus had always understood what Rikku was trying to say about saving Yunie and stuff. They were pretty close friends, despite the whole him-not-really-being-real thing. 'I could live here with that. Yeah.' She was about to turn and hurry to tell Brother to take off when Yunie, Paine, Wakka, and Lulu walked casually out of the trees. Wakka had his arm around Lulu's waist and she was carrying their baby. Yuna waved and called something to Tidus who tossed the blitzball aside and ran over to her. They hugged and he twirled her around playfully. They were laughing and even Paine was smiling. Rikku felt like a huge distance had been spread between her and her friends. They were all so happy and she was just, well, hiding the pain. A brief glimpse of Auron in the Farplane and Gippal the night he left flashed through her head. She couldn't stay around them when she was so depressed.  
  
Turning away from the window, Rikku jumped to see Gippal still in the airship. He was leaning against the railing of the stairs with his arms crossed, watching her pensively. "W-what are you doing?" She squeaked, checking her pulse. Gippal pushed off of the railing and took a few steps towards her. "Rikku, what's up with you? You've changed." Rikku smirked. "Very observant, Gippal! Was it the thoughtfulness or the attitude that tipped you off? Or maybe it was the fact that I didn't throw myself at you. Hmmm..." She sarcastically spat all of this while walking towards the gap in the railing. She jumped down and was about to walk through the door when Gippal said something she never though she'd hear again. "E muja oui. E naymmo tu cdemm muja oui, Rikku." (I love you. I really do still love you, Rikku.) Rikku stopped dead in her tracks, fighting the millions of emotions rushing through her. "Prove it." She called back. Then she hurried to the lift and up to the bridge.  
  
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AN: okie dokie! i'd like to note that this is the last chapter I wrote actual Al Bhed in. *sighs* It gets kinda confusing to write and constantly refer to my Al Bhed translation page every word. Sorry, if you absolutely LOVE the Al Bhed language, but I'm kinda lazy. Expect another update soon! love and peace! ~~~sa~~~ 


	3. Lose a Genius, Gain a Player

hey again! just a quick little greeting this time since i already thanked all MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS in my previous chapter. i love you all! *grins and winks* alrighty then! on with the show! peace! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Chapter 3: Lose a Genius, Gain a Player  
  
"We're leaving! Let's go, Gullwings!" Rikku called in Al Bhed as soon as she got to the bridge. Buddy and Brother both echoed her sentiments, seeming to be glad to leave the place they had lost two members. Shrina leapt from his seat and hurried over to Rikku's flushed figure. "Rikku, we can't leave yet." Crossing her arms, Rikku bent down, eyes narrow. "Why?" She spat, trying to her angry will onto the short genius. He hesitated slightly, glancing behind his blonde friend nervously. "'Cuz I'm getting off and catching the ship to Luca. I have a job lined up there with their top sphere researchers." Rikku plopped down onto the cold metal floor. Shinra hurried past her without another word. Buddy sighed heavily. "Three down, three to go." He muttered in Al Bhed, taking his place at the navigator's console.   
  
"Make that four to go, boys." Rikku flinched, glancing at the door to see Gippal standing there triumphantly. "Shrina asked me to take his place on this old tanker of yours. Say hello to Gullwing number four!" His lilting Al Bhed words made Rikku want to strangle him all the more for some odd reason. Brother almost had a heart attack and pointed at his foe with a shaking hand. "Old tanker?!?" Buddy turned all the way around in his chair, gaping at Gippal, too. "Gullwing number four?!?" Rikku stood up slowly, fixing her gaze on her own place at the Celsius controls longingly. "Hurry up, guys! We have to high-tail it before Yunie or her blonde shadow realize we're leaving! Shrina'll tell her in a heartbeat!" With a nod, bouncy-mode Rikku made her way over to her console. Gippal take his seat at Shrina's computer with an amazed sigh. Brother and Buddy traded glances, shrugs, and surrending positions at the Gullwing-moblie's central control center.  
  
Rikku watched Besaid woosh away beneath them as they headed for Luca, just to check Shrina's "new job" out. Sighing, she said goodbye to Paine and Yuna, her two best friends. She didn't think either of them would even notice if she wasn't there that morning. They kinda took her for granted since she was oh-so-supportive no matter what. Scoffing at herself and at them, she turned her attention to the screen in front of her. Bored suddenly with the hum of the machina around her, she pulled up a club index in Luca. She was a party girl, after all. Skimming through the first few pages, Rikku spotted a vibrant link to a site for Club Kweh, a techno-sonic club open only at night. Grinning and rubbing her hands together at the mere thought of the partying to be had that night, Rikku let herself in on Brother and Buddy's private-ish conversation.   
  
'But, we do need someone as smart as Shrina around, Brother." Buddy said chidingly in Al Bhed. Brother growled and the Celsius lurched forward unsteadily. "I don't think he's as smart as Shrina! He's a goof! A total moron!" Brother spat back, his Al Bhed MUCH more fluid than his common speech. Rikku snickered at them and joined in. "Oh, don't forget player, louse, and abosolute heart breaker." Grinning at their suddenly outraged faces, she hopped away from them on the pretense of ignoring Gippal. He must've heard her soft footsteps because he spun around in his chair and caught her hand. His face was deathly serious and his voice was dangerously low. His good eye was dark and somewhat sad. "Rikku, please. Give me one more chance." He sounded so sincere and caring. His strong hand clasped hers desperately.  
  
Rikku almost wanted to forgive him. She almost smiled and hugged him; almost. Instead, she yanked her hand away, glaring at the offended appendenge like it was the plague. Deciding that pitiful excuse for a plead was not worthy of an answer, she turned and skipped away. Gippal sank down in his chair, not seeing the suspicious glares he was receiving from both Buddy and Brother. Trading glances again, the two Al Bheds turned back to their controls. They both seemed to be plotting the untimely demise of their new genius.  
  
Stepping onto the elevator casually, Rikku pressed the button to head up to the deck. She was sure a little fresh air and sunshine would clear her mind. Yeah, that's what she needed. Having Gippal on the ship was only going to make things worse for her. Considering their shaky past, the two of them had gotten along rather well over the past few weeks. The couple of times Rikku had run into her lanky used-to-be-boyfriend she had been too shocked to say anything useful. A cautious air of "Whoa! You're ALIVE?" would overtake them both and they ended saying dumb things. But, that one time she had seen him in the Heart of the Farplane, injured and struggling, she had flipped out. Mentally, she had been screaming and holding him in her arms. Physically, she had squeaked his name feebly, doing nothing at all. She couldn't have, in front of Yunie and Paine anyways. They wouldn't have let her hear the end of it.   
  
Sighing just as the elevator reached the deck, she shook her woeful thoughts away. Jogging to the door, she smiled as the door automatically whooshed open. Rikku was about to laugh and shout "Weeee!" when she saw the stowaways. Yuna, Paine, and Tidus were all climbing up the far end of the deck. They must've hung onto the airship all the way through take off and all the way until now. A moment of tense silence passed over her before she ran over to them. "Heey!" She called over the wind. Yuna ran over to her, hugging her tightly. "Shrina told us you guys were leaving. He told us you said we wouldn't notice!" Rikku could hear the tears in her cousin's voice. Grimacing, she pulled away. Bracing herself, she glanced at the innocently interested Tidus, the stern yet concerned Paine, and Yuna on the border of sobs. "Well," She began, feeling the cool sensation of the clouds wash over them. "I didn't think you would've noticed. You were all so happy this morning, running out onto the beach and stuff. I didn't figure I needed to be around anymore, you seemed fine without me..."   
  
Rikku trailed off only because Yuna had lifted her hand and slapped her friend, hard. Gripping her throbbing cheek, Rikku glared at her once-best-friend. "What the hell, Yuna?" She screamed, backing away from them all. Paine hurried to shove the shaking, sobbing Yuna at Tidus and approach Rikku. The blonde crouched defensively, not trusting the people she had gone through so much with. "Rikku, don't start that. Don't make me hurt you." Paine said this in Al Bhed, her low voice calm and confident. Rikku knew she was serious and stood up straight. "Ok, so you don't think we need you around, huh?" The taller girl crossed her arms over her black garbed chest. Rikku nodded, rubbing her cheek and glaring at Tidus and Yunie who were watching eagerly. Tidus was actually holding Yuna back from running over. Ha ha. Smirking, Rikku turned her attention back to Paine, who stood there paitiently. "Yup yup!" Her voice sounded overly happy and exuberent, even to her own ears. Paine shook her head. "Rikku, Rikku, Rikku. When will you ever learn?" The stoic swordswoman shrugged and walked past the now confused Rikku.  
  
"Hey, wait!" Rikku called, turning around to watch Paine pass the door and wait on the elevator. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned back, meeting Tidus' shocking blue gaze. He seemed so concerned and confused, as if he had no idea what was going on but wanted to help. Rikku felt the tears in her eyes staring into those emotional blue pools. She could see why Yuna fell for him so hard; he was honestly sensitive. Scary. Closing her eyes against the tears and the blazing blue of Tidus' eyes, Rikku stood there waiting for something to happen. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long because Gippal was speaking through the loud speaker. He was yelling something in Al Bhed that got lost in the wind to Rikku's ears. Paine reacted, shouting for all of them to follow her. Tidus nodded, motioning for Yuna to follow as he jogged towards the elevator.  
  
Yuna hesitated and then ran to her cousin, hugging her tightly. "Rikku, I don't think I ever told you how much you mean to me. You're my best friend and the only guardian I had that stayed by me. Who understood my pain, you know? I love you, Rikku and it hurts that you think I don't need you around anymore. Just because my journey's over doesn't mean I don't still need a good dance partner, right?" Yuna leaned back and smiled brightly. Rikku wiped her tears away, honestly convinced that Yuna was being sincere. "Rightyo! Now, let's go see what Gippal was yelling about." Rikku grabbed Yunie's hand and they ran to the elevator where two smiling warriors were waiting.  
  
Rikku skipped into the bridge before anyone else. Buddy, Brother, and Gippal were leaning over the screen on Shrina's old console. Gippal was explaining something hurriedly to them while the two Al Bheds nodded emphatically. "What's up? Is this a private party or can I join?" Rikku chirped, leaping over the railing to land next to her brother, Brother. The mohawked spasm machine turned to her as soon as she landed. "Rikku! You're late!" Rikku stuck out her tongue, putting her hands on her hips. "Sor-ry! Geez. What's the big deal anyway?" Yuna, Paine, and Tidus joined them at the computer. Yuna waved at Brother who blushed and grinned. Buddy smirked at them, spotting Tidus and remembering their relationship better than Brother seemed to. Paine agreed with Rikku, wanting to know what the big deal was.  
  
"Well, Gippal, what's up? You tell the girls. I'll set our course." Buddy patted Gippal on the shoulder and headed over to his own computer. Brother cleared his throat and waited while Gippal searched for the right words. "Uh, ya know how in the Farplane there's all that energy?" He paused, looking from face to face expectantly. Rikku picked up on his "needing a repsonse, here people!" look and nodded. "Yeah and and?" Gippal's eye sadly moved away from her face, seemingly not wanting to linger too long. "Its extremely unstable and possibly dangerous." Paine crossed her arms, thoughtfully cradling her chin in her hand. "Wait, what about the Guado? Aren't they able to stabalize the Farplane?" Gippal opened his mouth to speak, but Yuna cut him off. "The Farplane, yes, but not the energy of the pyreflies themselves. If that's the massive amount of energy that Shrina detected, then they have no control over it." Tidus, barely having any idea of what was going on, chimed in. "What'll happen if it gets out of control?" Gippal sighed, rubbing his temples.  
  
Instead of explaining anything to them, he pulled up a simulation of the Farplane. At the center of it, there was a mass of swirling energy, indicated in varying shades of green and blue. "See there?" He muttered, pointing to the bright blue center of the mass. "That is the highest concentration of the energy. Know what place is parallel to that spot in our realm of the living?" They all shook their heads. "Luca." Was Gippal's answer. Everyone had their own take of the situation, as Rikku brashly pointed out. "yeah, so what? What's gonna happen if the energy gets outta control? The city'll have free energy to make another Zanarkand with." Paine shook her head. "No, we don't even know what kind of energy it is, Rikku. It could be light or heat or sphere energy for all we know." Yuna looked highly aware and focused; her Save The World face. "So, we'll just have to go find out, right?" She thrust her fist into the air, expecting some heroic theme song to start playing. Rikku rolled her eyes and leaned against Gippal's chair.  
  
He glanced up at her hopefully, but she was too busy watching her three friends jump around about a new mission. Paine began suggesting that they go to Luca and see if anything was wrong. Then they should head into the Farplane Abyss and check out the energy. Yuna and Tidus agreed, all too readily. Gippal leaned back in his chair while the three teens hurried to tell Brother their plan. Rikku sighed and, without thinking, laced her fingers through his. Gippal froze, not even spurting the insult he had lined up for Tidus' girly laugh. Rikku's eyes were oddly distant, a glazed look about them. "Gippal," She breathed, her grip tightening on his hand. "Gippal, promise me that you won't follow me." He blinked, the romantic air about him completely destroyed. "What?" He gasped, trying to keep his voice down.  
  
Rikku looked down at him, her eyes sad and distant, but her face defiant and rebellious. "Don't follow me and don't tell the guys I'm leaving. When we get to Luca, I'm gonna disappear, capice?" She slid her hand out of his to play with the coin around his neck. "Rikku, why?" That was all he could breathe as she kissed him gently on the cheek before standing. "'Cause." Was all she answered with a shrug before grinning, winking, and skipping over to join the psuedo-party the crew was having at the front. Gippal, defeated, lowered his head into his hands. He was about to give up on the girl called Rikku when he remembered that Club Kweh she had been investigating earlier. She wasn't going anywhere without him as her shadow.  
  
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AN: i know it moves kinda fast, but the flow is lovely, no? i hope the grammar mistakes are still down to a minimum. keep reviewing! love and kisses! *smooch*   
  
~~~sa~~~ 


	4. Mission: Party 'Til Dawn

hey again! thanks to everyone who keeps reviewing!!! not to ruin anything for anyone, but, Auren? (thanks for the input! ^_~) Yeah, well, Rikku doesn't ACTUALLY meet Auron, but kinda. sorta. *covers mouth with hand* just keep reading! toodles! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.4: Mission Party Til Dawn  
  
It wasn't really that hard for Rikku to sneak out of the airship while the others "prepared" in the cabin. They were seriously excited to have something not all too dangerous to do. Tidus just wanted to go do something; ANYTHING. Plus, he wanted to blitz mega bad and the Aurochs were in town too. Yuna was in World Saver mode, seriously preparing Paine and Tidus for this mission. Which included flirting heavily with the latter and practically ignoring the former. Paine just rolled her eyes the third time Yuna was interrupted by Tidus running up behind her and tickling the living daylights out of her. The stoic girl was the first one to realize that Rikku wasn't around. Thinking it was odd that Rikku wasn't with them in the cabin, she hurried to the bridge to voice her conerns.  
  
Rikku took a deep breath of the Luca smells. Street vendors were all over selling food and wares while little kids ran around, playing and laughing. The streets were so clean and neat, almost not real. Like the whole town was a toy that someone put there to play with. Rikku knew for a fact that all the streets of Luca weren't like that, pristine and populated. The allies of the largest city in Spira were not something to write home to mom about. Some of the places the spunky Al Bhed had wandered into near the ports were crawling with rats and starving children. For some reason, the happy, well dressed citizens of Luca were making her want to spew. Wrinkling her nose in disgust at the oblivion in which these people lived when there was so much suffering around them, Rikku hurried from the main square. She slid into the narrow alley between two large buildings.   
  
Stepping into that alley was like stepping into a whole other world. The laughter, music, and street vendors' calls were lost to the suffocating silence of closely imposed buildings. The pleasant, clean smells of main Luca were drowned out by the stench of too much garbage and too little space. Rikku took a deep breath, sighing from the relief of being away from those people that were oblivious to the world around them. They were all too busy celebrating the defeat of Vegnagun to care about the people threatened by a greater foe than any of Yuna's plans could save. Starvation. Desease. Lack of room for houses due to the overpopulation of city areas in modern Spira.   
  
During the day, the allies Rikku was scurrying through were almost completely deserted. Only a few drunken bums graced the garbage bins this early in the day. For some reason, being among the squalor and pain of these people made her feel somehow at home. Home, the actual place, had been like this once. They had all been living smashed together, exiled by Yevon. The few that did dare to venture out were the lucky ones that escaped the desease of living at Home. Blinking away the random, not-so-great memories of her childhood, Rikku decided to visit an old friend of hers.  
  
"Gankee!" Rikku squealed when she caught sight of her hobo friend.He turned to face her, smiling widely when he caught sight of her. Gankee was a handsome bum, despite his ragged appearence. He was only 18 and was already living the life of a beggar. By choice. Oddly enough, he had been raised in a household of privelage in the up-scale part of Luca. Much to their dismay, he hated the way the rich treated the poor and so, took to the streets. Not only was he a political activist, he was also the only student of the legendary Maechen. Gankee pushed his grungy hood off his head and stood up from the doorway that had been his bed the previous night. "Rikku, its been too long." He bowed, allowing his long black hair to flop over his head unattractively. When he stood all the way up, he was at least as tall as Gippal, if not taller. He had broad shoulders, but a slim build and a pair of alluring, mismatched eyes.  
  
One eye green and the other dark amber. Shockingly enough, he was half Al Bhed, something not many knew.Rikku smiled lopsidedly at the tall halfling. "How've ya been, Gankee?" She asked, placing a hand on his rag-garbed shoulder. Shrugging, the bum pushed a hand full of dirty hair out of his eyes. "Same as ever, I suppose." He turned and indicated the shadowy alley that was his home. "Life here is only getting worse, Rikku. I fear that someday all of us will be demolished completely by the people that rule this land." Rikku nodded, thoughtfully aware of the eyes of a perverted old man on her. She was about to say something about the problems of overpopulation everywhere on Spira when she heard the cry of Brother high above the hum of the city.   
  
"RIKKU!" It rang, echoing over the suddenly still city. Flinching, Rikku cast a half-pissed, half-scared look up at the sky. As her luck would have it, the Celsius roared overhead slowly, as if they were searching for her. Gankee picked up on her fearful vibe and immediately grabbed her arm. Gently, of course. He was a gentleman, all the same as a bum. He led her deep into the dilapidated depths of his apartment, a dank, dark place. Rikku peered through the cracks between wooden boards nailed over the window as the Celsius slowly shrank in the distance; along with Brother's cries for her. She wondered who had been the first to notice she was gone. Most likely Paine. They had always seemed close. Unless, of course, Gippal told everyone the minute she was gone that she was leaving them. Growling, she punched the wall beside her angrily.   
  
Gankee jumped, staring at her wonderingly. He had been in the middly of boiling water for tea on a small fire in the middly of the smallish room until her snarling rage had interrupted him. "Rikku?" The deep, sorta gruff voice asked. Rikku closed her eyes, trying hard not to let her anger at Gippal, Yunie, and her stupidly oblivious brother smolder too hotly. Shaking her head, she winked at him with a grin. "I'm cool, just a little worked up about that airship is all." Gankee, a shrewd young man, left the question in his eyes. He went about his tea making silently as Rikku took her place next to him. "That was Brother wasn't it? On your airship, the Celsisus?" Being not-all-that-shocked, Rikku nodded sadly. "Yeah, that was them." She didn't bother asking how he had known that. He was just the sort of person that knew just about everything all the time because of his connections.   
  
Gankee nodded, setting a beaten looking cup of tea in front of her before serving himself and sitting across the lopsided table. Rikku studied his placid face and couldn't help but feel an odd sense of deja vu sweep over her. There was something oddly familiar about the way he was regarding her calmly, but as if he knew more than he let one. An aloof sort of air about him, yet at the same time, a caring light in his soulful eyes. "What are you running from?" He asked, his voice sending chills down her spine. Where had she heard that gruff voice before? Gazed into those deep eyes before? Been trapped in her own lies so flawlessly before? Her eyes filled with tears from confusion, from pain, and anger. Gankee calmly regarded her as she broke into uncontrollable sobs across the table from him. He waited silently until she gushed all of her current woes, listening and never judging.  
  
Rikku eventually cried herself to sleep, curled up next to Gankee near his meager fire. He sat, brooding familiarly until she woke sometime around midnight. Blinking, she sat up with a gasp. "Poopie!" She cried, jumping up and rushing to the door. "What's the matter, Rikku?" He called, hurrying after her. "I was planning on going clubbing tonight and completely forgot when I was at your place." Rikku called over her shoulder. Gankee sighed and stopped jogging after her. Noticing his halt, she immediately stopped and whirled. A thoughtful look was plastered on his cute little face. "Why don't you come with me? I'm going to Club Kweh, a snazzy place in Luca's Party District. I could use a good dance partner." There was something oh-so-cute and convincing about the way she tilted her head and smiled. Gankee felt his resolve to stay out of the limelight of the Dance Strip crumble when he looked in her eyes.  
  
Smiling, he explained to her that he could use his family's name to get into the club. Plus, he'd need to grab some clothes from "a friend". The "friend" turned out to be a wealthy man that Gankee usually stole clothing and the like from. Rikku waited outside, calm as a cucumber while he broke into the rich-to-do apartment and stole a nice outfit. It was a pair of dark green shorts that came to his knees and were adorned with belts with no purpose. His shirt was a sleeveless, two-tone black and dark blue number with an intricate design in shimmery greens and blues on the front. He pulled his hair into a loose ponytail and had washed his face by the time he came out. Rikku giggled and clapped quietly as he turned and struck poses for his little friend. Grinning at each other mischieviously, they linked arms and skipped to the infamous Club Kweh.  
  
Little did care-free Rikku know that she was being followed by an extremely jealous Gippal. He hadn't seen Gankee before his transformation into snazzy clubber and therefore thought he was some sort of perv out to get Rikku into bed. Rikku silenlty looked on while Gankee slipped the bouncer in front of the thumping club a few gil and his name with a smile. The bouncer fluidly pocketed the gil and smiled at the two of them. "Welcome to Club Kweh." He said in an oily voice, pushing the brightly painted yellow door behind him open so the music flooded out into the streets. Rikku grinned as the sounds washed over her, the lights and pulsing beats pounding her cares away. As soon as the door shut behind them, she was moving. Her body lost the brain somewhere at the door, dragging Gankee out to the middle of the floor. He was almost as good a dancer as she, moving like a creature of the music itself.  
  
They moved together like one, their dancing become more and more intense and sensual as the evening wore on. Finally, the DJ announced that the next song was the last one for the night. Pouring sweat and panting, Rikku and Gankee moved dangerously close together for the slow song. It was a pulsing remix of 1,000 Words. Rikku gazed up at Gankee who was busily trying not to kiss her. Their faces were VERY close together. Her arms were linked around his neck and his around her waist; their bodies molded to seem as one. Smiling in the swiftly changing lights, Rikku laid her head on his shoulder wordlessly. Gankee breathed in the smell of her hair mingled with her sweat and something that smelled like sea salt. The smells of an Al Bhed girl. Closing his eyes and listening to the sped up words of the song, he wondered vaguely why he felt like he was being watched.  
  
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AN: soooo? whaddya think? any ideas on this new Gankee character? any questions? *looks around* keep reviewing! love and peace! ~~~sa~~~~ 


	5. Next stop, Macalania!

*dances in* just FYI, all my faithful readers, i'm REALLY sick right now so i might not update again for a while. *consoles her weeping fans* i know, i know! quite depressing! i'm sure this chappie while just leave you hanging on a cliff and begging for more! hope you like! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.5 Next Stop: Macalania!  
  
It wasn't until he and Rikku burst out of the club laughing and still dancing somewhere near dawn did he realize who was following them. He glimpsed the eye patched figure glaring at him from behind a trash bin before disappearing into the freshly shadowed allies. Smirking, he placed the face with a name and smugly slipped an arm around Rikku's waist. She laughed loudly and collapsed against him, exhausted. "Gankee, thanks." She breathed, falling asleep where they stood. Chuckling, he picked her up and carried all the way to his house where he covered her with a blanket before heading out for the day.  
  
With his swank new duds, he looked like he belonged among the other richish people of Luca Proper. He had sworn never to re-visit the streets of his youth unless he was in dire need of something. And he was. He wanted to swing by his father's weapon shop to pick up his custom made weapon. Spending the evening with Rikku had reminded him that he desperately wanted to know about his past. She had told him about her life as a sphere hunter before their little excursion to the club. Her quest for the truth behind Yuna's lost love. He remembered the pained looked in her eyes at the telling of that story. She seemed somewhat angry that she had never gotten the chance to throw her life away and go searching for something for herself.   
  
What Gankee was going to suggest wasn't exactly a quest for Rikku's truth. It was a quest for his own self; his past. He was adopted into the rich family he was raised in. Obviously, he had been deserted as a baby by his husbandless mother. She had been ashamed of him for some reason.Wanting to know who she was and where she was along with who his father was enough to drive him insane. The years he spent under Maechen's historically accurate wing had also given him a love for ruins, spheres, and anything forgotten by the rest of Spira. Smiling at the memory of his kindly tutor, Gankee swung into his adoptive father's shop confidently.  
  
Rikku sat swinging her legs back and forth on a dock in one of Luca's less favorable harbors, nearest the stadium. Gankee had been gone for a while, longer than she had been awake and she didn't feel like chasing after him. She knew he'd find her. That's how their friendship worked. Smiling as a warm breeze brought the smells of salt and fish to her nose, she stood and stretched. She loved the leisurely feel of this practically deserted port. Nothing was fast-paced and rushed, like life on the Celsius. She always felt like things were moving too fast for her to track when she was on the Celsius. Speaking of that huge red airship, Rikku thought back to the day before when Brother had been screaming over the loud speaker at her. They were obviously looking for her, which made her feel sorta bad for leaving. Sorta.  
  
She was pissed at Gippal because Gippal was the only person that knew she was leaving. He didn't know part of the reason she left was because he was there. He seemed to want her back, badly. And yet, she wasn't about to let herself be sucked into him again. The last time she trusted her heart and went after him, he deserted her. Without a second thought on the matter, Rikku turned and stomped down the dock towards the blitzball stadium.As soon as she entered the clean whiteness of Proper Luca, she heard a voice she hadn't ever wanted to hear again. "Yunie!" She gasped, shocked.  
  
Yuna was standing with Tidus, Paine, and Brother near a merchant. They were anxiously questioning him about Rikku, obviously. Snarling, she was tempted to stalk up to them ranting, but felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. Whirling, she saw a clean shaven, washed, and armed Gankee motioning her to follow. Taking the hint, she hurried after him quietly. Jogging behind him, she noticed a tatoo on his arm she had never seen before. It looked like two black dagger-like lines swirling to meet at a spikey looking ball on his upper arm. On his opposite upper arm he sported a metallic arm band that appeared beaten and old. Also, a gauntlet of sorts adorned his wrist and lower arm, extending to wrap around his middle finger. It gleamed oddly and Rikku guessed it was welded with crystals from Macalania, a rare accessory in deed.   
  
When Gankee finally stopped jogging along the allies, they were near the outskirts of the city. Both gasped in some much needed breaths before Rikku starting questioning him. "So? What's with the armor and that bundle? Goin' somewhere? Huh huh huh?" Gankee, smiled at her energentic bouncing. She was also she excitable, even when she was depressed. She needed this journey just as much as he did. Nodding, Gankee slid the dirty cloth off the long bundle he was holding. Rikku's eyes widened when she saw what lay within. It was a glaive of sorts with a mean looking, G-shaped blade at the end. The handle was inlaid with something resembling a mixture of gold and sphere crystal, like his gauntlet. A dark red gem was set where the blade met the staff.   
  
"Nice, isn't it? My father made it especially for me. He said the gem," He tapped the garnet-esque stone. "Was around my neck on a chain when I was found. He melted the gold down for the handle. And the blade with a secret mixture of metals and sphere crystal." Gankee's voice had adopted a tone of pride. Rikku smiled. "Any sphere hunter would loooove to get her hands on that." She said, giggling slightly and pretending to snatch at the weapon. Surprisingly, Gankee's reflexes were quicker than she thought. In less time than it took her to blink, he had her arms tightly clasped behind her back. He dropped her quickly, as if he had realized the kinkiness of the situation. Blushing, Rikku laughed off her defeat. "Well, what's the suiting up for?" She probed, poking his ribs through the rich guy's shirt he still wore. It looked good on him anyway. Gankee, a faraway look in his multicolored eyes, sighed.   
  
"I'm going to find my real parents. Wherever they are. My adoptive father gave me the go ahead, this weapon, a LOT of gil, and this gauntlet." He held up his right hand to the late afternoon sun, watching the relfection off the crystal. Rikku felt an inspiring speech bubble up inside her. A feeling of awe and excitement washed over her and she clapped. "Alrighty! Let's hit the road! Next stop..." She trailed off, still pointing up the hill where the Mi'hen Highroad began. Rikku glanced over her shoulder at her close friend, an inquiring lift of the eyebrow adding to her already quirky charm. Gankee laughed, sliding his glaive into a specially built belt with two strong rings to hold it strung across his back. He joined Rikku in her pointed pose, grinning from ear to ear. "Next stop, Macalania."  
  
As the two battled their way down the road, Gippal followed closely, not bothering to respond to Brother's frantic radio calls. He didn't need the whole Gullwings crew trailing him. It was hard enough staying quiet enough to escape Gankee's expert tracking skills. The guy was like some kind of advanced Al Bhed hybrid. His exceptional way with machina got them a free night at the Agency and his prowess in battle made the way easy to hoof. Growling every time the dark haired halfing so much as touched Rikku, Gippal was getting VERY impatient. He wanted to know the nature of their sometimes affectionate, sometimes sorta distant relationship. Oddly enough, Gippal wished he had never left the Celsius one particularly rainy night when Rikku had to take shelter undeneath a teeny little excuse for a cliff. Of course, Gankee was right there. They even slept like that. Feeling as if he should just give up that next morning, Gippal radioed the Celsius.  
  
"Gippal here. Brother? Buddy? Come in." He muttered, trying to stay out of sight while Rikku skipped ahead of Gankee. Tidus' voice came over the speaker, sounding sorta quiet, too. "Tidus here. What's up, Gippal? Where are you?" Gippal sighed, feeling a huge pain in his chest where his heart used to be. "Mi'hen Highroad. Figured I needed some battle time, ya know?" He was an awesome liar. Tidus groaned. "Aw, come on! Why didn't ya tell me? I woulda come with. I need to get off this airship!" He sounded abosolutely frantic. Gippal chuckled, sympathizing with that urge to be anywhere but stationary. "I hear ya. What's the situation? Who's PMSing?" Tidus chuckled back. "Brother." Both burst out laughing only to hurriedly muffle their joy when they remembered they were trying to be quiet. "OK, do you wanna be picked up or something?" The blonde, non-Al Bhed whispered to his tall new found friend. "Yeah, I'll be at the Agency." "Alrighty. Over and out." Tidus muttered cheerfully. Gippal closed his eyes, feeling as if he was just gonna get stuck on that ship. With no Rikku. With no happiness.  
  
"Gankee!" Rikku's voice had hit its all time whiny maximum when the two were heading to Djose temple to pick up some supplies a few days after Gippal's re-arrival on the Celsius. She was trudging along behind his stern back, whining and complaining about everything. "Gankee, why can't we just rest for a-" A huge basilisk crashing down from above them and Gankee quickly slashed at it while Rikku cast a few Flare spells as a Black Mage. Transforming back to a Thief, Rikku groaned and plopped down onto the stony ground. Gankee shook some hair out of his face and sheathed his glaive. When he turned to look down at her, she felt that weird deja vu again. Who had looked down on her like that? Kinda condescending in nature, yet still a glimmer of concern somewhere deep in the eyes. Shaking her head, Rikku waited for him to say something. Anything. He didn't say a word.  
  
Yup, he just stood there completely motionless while the rainy smelling wind played with their hair. Rolling her eyes, she leapt to her feet, defiantly crossing her arms. With a victorious smirk, he turned on the heels of his combat boots, continuing on his steady way. Groaning, Rikku jogged to catch up with his decidedly quick pace. After a few minutes of tense silence, Gankee spoke just as the temple came into view. "Rikku, no one forced you to follow. I just thought you needed this journey, too. A journey of the heart." Stopping in her tracks, Rikku tried to place that philosophical tone of voice desperately. His eyes bore into hers relentlessly and she felt like he was looking into her soul. Shivering suddenly, she hugged herself, looking at the ground sheepishly. "Uh, I kinda need this. Yeah I do. I'm sorry for complaining." Gankee smiled and turned back towards the temple. "Its OK. I understand. You miss him." With not another word, he hurried onward leaving Rikku to swallow her pride and her tears. 'Yeah,' she thought. 'I do miss him. More every day.'  
  
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AN: see? Rikku is totally heartless! she really does still care about Gippal. she just needs some time to think it all over, ya know? a journey with an increasingly familiar guy may be just what she needs. and, no, i won't tell whether they hook up or not. that's not fair! *winks* keep reviewing! ~~~sa~~~ 


	6. Born of this chaos

*coughs* okay, this update isn't my usual 2-chappie one, but pity me!!!! i'm sick!!! *hack hack hack* alrighty, just a warning, this chapter gets a little, uh, more FANTASTICAL than the previous few. no flames, please! i hope you enjoy! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch. 6 Born of This Chaos...  
  
Rikku growled and plopped down onto the cold stone floor of the Djose Temple. Members of the Machina Faction were buzzing around, apparently REALLY busy. Too busy to even give the sputtering Gankee a second glance. He was hurrying around, shouting out phrases in extremely clumsy Al Bhed and no one was paying any attention to him. Rikku crossed her arms and glared at the nearest Faction member who had been staring at her in a rather gross fashion for quite some time. He jumped and looked away, pretending to be busy with a malfunctioning machina. Gankee came over, sighed, and sat down next to the angry blonde. "SO?" Rikku spat, ignoring the frustrated look on Gankee's face. "So, what?" He spat back, anger flaring in his eyes. Rikku's eyes widened slightly, shocked that he was actually losing his temper. He NEVER lost his temper; he was an extremely even keeled man. Rolling her eyes to right off her shock, Rikku stood up.  
  
"Rikku, what are you doing? They're not going to listen to you." Gankee's slightly angry voice was lost in the sounds of an airship landing just outside. The Al Bhed in the temple all scrambled for the door at once. In the chaos, Rikku found herself pushed all the way outside, to where the Celsius was parked. Screeching, Rikku pulled away from the crowd and bolted for the temple. Gankee, who stood right in the doorway. got dragged along her flee-path all the way into the Cloister of Trials. Gankee glared at his short companion and yanked his arm away from her clingy grip. "What the hell, Rikku? We could've hitched a ride on that airship!" He yelled, stomping through the Trials to the pedestal elevator. Rikku jumped a little, not expecting him to yell. "Well, excuuuuse me! That airship just so happened to be the Celsius, which meant that Rikku's brother and all the rest of the Gullwings were on board! Getting a ride from them is the last thing Rikku needs!" Her voice gained volume until an abandoned sphere in the wall fell to the ground and shattered with a sizzling snap.   
  
They both jumped, staring at the sphere like it had awoken them from their trance. Pushing his black hair out of his eyes, Gankee strode towards Rikku slowly. Her small frame was shaking slightly, whether from the tears she was fighting or the anger she felt, who knew? "Rikku," He whispered, gently touching her bare shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. That was out of line. Its just that, I mean, I didn't know the Celsius was following us. I'm sorry." He said sincerely, attempting to get Rikku to look him in the honest eyes. She pulled away from him and took a deep breath. He felt a seperation stretch between them, spanning a huge gap of their friendship. Rikku's defense was to push people away; he knew that from experience. But, this time, he felt like he had gone too far by yelling for no good reason. She got enough of that from her Pop and Brother.  
  
He was about to suggest they head farther into the temple to escape the Gullwings when a shockingly angry voice yelled from the other side of the door to the Trials. Gasping, Rikku rushed past Gankee and onto the elevator, motioning for him to follow. "Who was that?" Gankee asked as the elevator brought them to the upper level. "Gippal." She squeaked, hurrying up the stairs. Gankee glared down at the floor below him like he was actually glaring at Gippal. He knew the story of Gippal and Rikku and he knew that the one eyed Al Bhed had been following them. He most likely clued the rest of the crew onto their location. Feigning cluelessness, Gankee hurried after her. "Rikku! Is Gippal the one eyed one?" He asked as he entered the room before the Chamber of the Fayth. Nodding frantically, Rikku leapt onto the windowsil. "Come on!" She motioned him up, too.   
  
He guessed she meant that they could leapt to their rocky deaths on the spear-like, jagged stones below that temple window. Shaking his head, Gankee rushed the door to the Chamber. Rikku made a frustrated noise and followed. Gankee peered down the hole left by Vegnagun. Rikku gasped when she saw it. She figured when they defeated Vegnagun and freed the aeons again, the fayths when at least repair their temples. Guessing that was a big "NO!", she joined Gankee at the hole's edge. "Are you thinking we could...?" Rikku went through the hand motions of diving down into the Farplane Abyss. Gankee nodded and then smiled bitterly. "Hey, its the only way we can get out of here without dying, right?" Snorting at his lame attempt at humor, Rikku braced herself for the jump. No matter how many times she leapt down those creepy holes, she never got used to them.   
  
Rikku never thought to question how they would get back out of the Farplane since Gankee seemed so confident while they battled down the Road to the Abyss. He always had some brillant plan to pull out of no where when in danger. So, when they got to the Farplane Glen, she expected him to pull off some incredible scheme. Right? Nope. Instead, he sheepishly turned to her and asked if she knew a way out. Falling over, Rikku covered her eyes with her hands. 'Why did I get stuck with the "Do first, figure it all out later" guy? URGH!' She thought, mentally kicking herself for jumping down that frickin' hole in the first place. "Rikku!" Gankee cried, his voice a little panicky sounding. Rikku ignored the note of panic and rolled onto her stomach to stare at the inside of her eyelids. "Rikku? RIKKU!" He cried again and again, making Rikku more than a little pissed at him. "What, what, what?" She screamed, standing up and glaring at him.  
  
He was pointing in the direction that she and the others had gone to chase after Vegnagun. A little yelp escaped Rikku at sight of all the chaos in front of her. It was just like that simulation Gippal had shown them on the airship. A whirling mass of energy crackling and surging around mingling with thousands of pyreflies. "What in the-?" Gankee began, stumbling away from the whirling mass as an explosion rocked the glen. Screaming, Rikku attempted to jump off the edge of the glen as it crumbled away. "Rikku!" Gankee screamed, reaching out for her to grab his hand. "I...can't...reach!" She cried, frantically scrambling as more of the clifflike edge crumbled beneath her. Soon, the platform she was trying to escape fell away from the main glen all together. Leaving Gankee to watch her fall into the valley below and all its pyrefly chaos.  
  
When Rikku woke up, all she could remember was falling into that weird mass of energy and feeling cold all over. She opened her eyes and gasped at the face she saw there. "Auron?!?" She cried, scrambling away from the solid apparition of her mentor. He stood all the way up to his full height, fixing his one-eyed stare on Rikku as she stood shakily. They seemed to be floating in a black void. "Rikku." Auron said, his voice echoing oddly in the blackness around them. He took a step towards her, a few pyreflies flitting past randomly. Rikku fought the conflicting urges in her head. Her first instinct was to run to him and hug him back to death. (AN: punny, no?) But, at the same time, she felt a mistrust of this whole thing. Why would he be back? They WERE in the Farplane, right? So he wasn't really back, right? Right?   
  
"Rikku, don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you. And I am really Auron." He chuckled, reading her thoughts which were clearly displayed on her face. Rikku's eyes filled with tears of joy and relief. Without a word, she threw herself at him, hugging his solid form with all her might. In an extremely fatherly manner, he held her, humming the Hymn gently. When Rikku finally looked up at him, she was grinning happily. "Are you really back or is this just a one time thing?" Auron, in his usual mysterious manner, stepped away from her and sighed. "Its hard to say." Hands akimbo, Rikku scoffed at his response. "What's THAT supposed to mean?" She screeched. Auron shook his head. "Rikku, the Farplane is in shambles and a lot of the dead are regaining solid forms. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones to come away with a body."   
  
He paused briefly, his voice cracking like he was speaking through an old sphere. Rikku looked around, staring at the massive numbers of pyreflies swarming around them. "Rikku! Get down!" Auron's voice was a little clearer as he placed himself protectively in front of her. She covered her head with her arms and closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them after the roar of the pyreflies had died down, Rikku was surprised to see that they were standing back in the glen. Gankee was staring at them, open mouthed, while Auron helped a shocked Rikku to her feet. Before anyone could say anything, the whole Farplane seemed to buckle under the powerful energy's grasp. Everything around them burst into blue flames and then pyreflies, leaping and dancing through and around them. Their collective shouts were drowned out by a large whooshing noise. Then, it all went black.  
  
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AN: *flinches* wait, no throwing of the rotten veggies! whoo hoo!!! well, i'm gonna go sleep or something. please be patient with my sickly self!!! the next update might take a while. but, but but!!! the story is going to speed up...a LOT!! and a few, ok, ALL of the questions you may have will be answered...soon...i leave you with this one survey (please answer with your lovely reviews!): who do you think Gankee REALLY is??? peace! ~~~sa~~~ 


	7. Guadosalam

Hey guys! you're lucky I'm feeling better now or this wouldn't have happened!!! this update, I mean. I guess I shouldn't brag, but this chapter is sorta action packed. sorta. I'm not too great at battles and there's a HUGE battle scene in this chappie. gomen nasai for the not-so-greateness of it. enjoy! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.7 Guadosalam's Last Battle  
  
"WHOA! We've got a situation here, guys!" Gippal yelled, leaping into his seat on the Celsius. Brother hurried over while Buddy sounded the alarm. "That should get them back to the ship." Buddy muttered, sorta glaring at the mental picture of their three sphere hunters swimming in the Moonflow while they were stuck running an analysis. Gippal's console was flashing red and multiple windows were popping up on the main screen with all kinds of warnings on them. "WHAT IS IT?!?" Brother cried, hopping around desperately. Gippal, who was typing frantically, finally got the machina to stop beeping at him. "Its that energy thing in the Farplane. Its started to destory the very fabric of the Farplane. I know, I know. Hard to believe, but its true." His good eye widened significantly as he skimmed through some data. Buddy joined them at the desk, leaning in to read the info. too.   
  
Brother was too busy yelling on the loudspeaker for Yuna to get back on the ship to be concerned with the suddenly somber air that had taken over the bridge. "Uh oh. Not good." Was all the tall genius was able to say. "Definetly." Agreed Buddy, in Al Bhed. Brother screamed some choice phrases in Al Bhed before hopping over. "WHAT, WHAT, WHAT is not good?" Blubbered the mohawked leader, also in Al Bhed. "What's all the alarms and yelling for? What happened?" Yuna called as she leapt down to join them, hair still wet from their frollick in the Moonflow. Tidus followed, shaking the water out of his hair as he jogged down the steps. Paine leaned against the frame of the door, moodily sulking about their lack of interest in finding Rikku.   
  
"Uh, well, remember when I told you guys about that energy mass in the Farplane?" A chorus of nods was his response. Gippal cleared his throat, obviously nervous about his next statement. "Its destroying the Farplane as we speak, which could lead to all kinds of chaos. We're talkin' global blackouts and MAJOR fiend activity." Yuna gasped. "We have to stop this! Before any of those fiends can attack, we have to head to Guadosalam and increase the defense at the entrance to the Farplane." She looked to Tidus and Paine for support. Tidus hesitated, seeing a different angle to this problem. "But, if the Farplane runs sorta parallel to the rest of Spira," He indicated the two realms with his parallel hands. "Then won't the whole world be thrown into this? Not just Guadosalam?" Paine pushed off the wall, clicking down the stairs slowly. Her arms were trademarkedly crossed and she fixed Gippal with a stern stare.   
  
"Rikku will be caught out there all alone if we don't find her. That should be our first priority." Yuna clapped her hands over her mouth, seemingly she had forgotten all about her "best friend" in the rush to save the world. "That's right! We have to save Rikku!" Yuna cried, clinging to Tidus' arm as if he had suggested they leave her out there or something. He nodded, of course agreeing with her. Brother seemed all for finding Rikku while Buddy and Gippal hesitated. "I dunno. Rikku's a big girl. She can take care of herself." Gippal muttered distantly. His eyes had taken a sort of glazed over look when he mentioned that. Doubtlessly, he was remembering that night on the Highroad when he had seen that guy and Rikku all cozy. 'Besides, she has a big, strong hybrid with her.' He thought bitterly. "She doesn't need us."   
  
Yuna squeaked in a Rikku-like fashion. "How can you say that? Rikku is still our friend, even if she did run away like that! Leaving her out there would be horrible!" Before any further arguments could be launched, a distress call from Guadosalam pulled Buddy away from the crowd. "Guys, we'll just have to put everything on hold and investigate Guadosalam's problem. Apparently, those fiends aren't the only thing pouring out of the chaotic Farplane." Paine stayed with Gippal while the others discussed strategy with Buddy. Brother was moaning and rolling around on the floor. Paine rolled her eyes. "Drama queen." She growled, kicking Brother expertly in the groin before turning to her long-time friend. He was still distantly staring at his screen, his hands bunched together like one huge fist.   
  
Sensing he wasn't telling her everything he knew about "big girl Rikku", she placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, glancing up at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "Gippal, I know you well enough to know when you're keeping something from me." She whispered in Al Bhed. Gippal shuddered, half from how mean she looked and half because how close she was to his ear. "I dunno what you're talking about. That's all the data I've got on this crisis." Paine tightened her grip on his shoulder. "I'm not talking about this crisis, blondie." She spat in Al Bhed again. Gippal narrowed his eye. 'So, she's talking about Rikku. Best to just tell her and get it over with.' He thought, refusing to let the pain in his shoulder get to him. "Rikku's off with some weird half-Al Bhed guy looking for something. The last time I saw them they were on their way to Macalania." He gushed in panicky sounding Al Bhed. Paine released his shoulder, but stayed close so the others wouldn't hear. "How long ago was this?" She whispered, switching to common speech. "A few nights. Ask Tidus. Its when I called to get picked up, remember?" She nodded, obviously remembering.   
  
Paine stood all the way up, having made up her mind. She knew enough about Gippal and Rikku's past to know that they both cared about each other, A LOT. They were just too stubborn or stupid to admit it and would rather go through all the drama like this. Paine rubbed her temples in an attempt not to scream at how frustrating her friends could be sometimes. Gippal stood up, too, glancing nervously at the others who were flipping gil to see where they should go; search for Rikku or to Guadosalam. Judging by Yuna's gasp they were going to the guado hometown. "I say you and me go on a journey of our own while they investigate the Farplane crisis." Paine ventured confidently. She knew he'd agree readily. With Paine on his side, he'd beat that crazy halfing in no time at all. Gippal acted like he was thinking and then nodded emphatically. "Let's go!"   
  
They brought this plan of action up to the others. Yuna was gushing praise while Tidus cast a knowing glance at Gippal who couldn't help but blush and look away. Brother was VERY supportive and Buddy prepared to take them to Guadosalam. "We can split up there, us taking the road to Macalania and you guys heading to Farplane for damage control." Gippal said, his confidence clearly displayed on his face. So, the remnants of the Gullwings soared off to Guadosalam for some fiend and Rikku hunting. Little did they know that their splitting up plan wouldn't be nessecary at all. Upon their arrival at the main entrance to Guadosalam, they noticed that they were too late.  
  
Damage control was an understatement. Apparently, the Farplane had literally exploded and completely wiped out the whole guado race. Yuna burst into tears at the sight of all the death and carnage. Tidus quickly hugged her, trying to comfort her sobbing form. Buddy shook his head. "We're too late." He commented in Al Bhed, bowing his head for the loss of life. Gippal and Paine seemed to be the only ones not completely taken aback by the pyrefly streaming bodies and still aflame buildings. They hurried up the road towards LeBlanc's trashed place, noting the giant pink sphere left there. Paine picked it up, playing it back for the others as they hurriedly followed. An image of LeBlanc appeared on the sphere. She was trembling and looking around fearfully. "There are far too many, boss!" Cried Logos from behind her as he battled back some fiends. Ormi seemed to be too busy cowering behind his tall counterpart to speak. LeBlanc looked straight into the sphere, speaking timidly. "We're gonna blow this scene, loves! But let it be known that we fought to our last! Ta ta!" There was a flash and the sphere cut out.  
  
"Do ya think that means she survived?" Gippal voiced all their concerns. Yuna nodded, wiping some tears away. "If we know anything about LeBlanc, its that she's a survivor." Paine nodded, setting the sphere back down for later retrival. "She most likely high-tailed it to Nooj." They all nodded this time. For a few mintues they took in the total destruction around them, not really able to comprehend the full scale of the damage until they saw the charred bodies of the musicians from Macalania strewn about the main square. Yuna shook from the tears she was holding back as she strode confidently forward. Almost from instinct, the others stayed back. She started going through the moves of a sending, even though she didn't exactly have that power anymore. It was more a gesture of respect for the dead all around her than an actual funeral dance. Tidus rushed to her just as she collapsed from the sobs wracking her. Paine shook her head. "This frickin' sucks!"  
  
Gippal smirked. He had a weird feeling they weren't alone suddenly and how right he was. "There!" Cried a foreign voice to his ears. It was gruff and sounded more mature than Mr.Halfing's. A huge, mutated fiend sprung out of no where and attacked Buddy and Brother. They fought back as best they could, tossing grenades and firing at it until Gippal pulled out his massive, multi-barreled gun. Yuna and Tidus were frozen where they knelt, having heard that voice and were processing it. Gippal fired his gun and the fiend stumbled back, growling and sending a wave of poisonous gas out of itself. The wave would've caught them all if another gruff voice hadn't called out from somewhere above them. "ESUNA!" The spell hit all of them, combating the toxic effect that green gas would've had. Gippal, his attention distracted by that ever-angering voice, was caught off guard as the fiend charged at him.   
  
"Gippal!" This time everyone recognized that voice. Yuna looked up, tears streaming. "Rikku?" And there she was, transforming into a Dark Knight just as she landed in front of the stunned Gippal. "No one messes with my friends but me! Take this!" She unleashed a Darkness attack and noted how badly it hurt the mutant fiend. She sent three more Darkness waves at it, stumbled to her knees as her strength waned. Gippal backed her up, shooting the fiend with the last of his ammo. Tidus joined the fray, slashing the fiend's hind-quarters while Paine and Yuna both hit it with simultaneous Darkness attacks. Just when they seemed to be causing some major damage, the fiend let out a mighty roar and pyreflies from seemingly no where flew into it. "Oversoul?!?" Cried Rikku, who was casting Curaga on the party every chance she got. "No way!" Paine screamed, transforming into a Samurai and using Fingersnap to attempt to chop its attributes back down before it got a chance to wipe them out.  
  
Rikku leapt away from the fiend, glancing up to the Farplane entrance pleadingly. The sounds of a heated battle taking place over there drew her attention away from the fiends' new tentacles as it whipped them around. "Rikku!" Cried three voices at once, Gippal's and two other male voices yet to be identified. A huge, sickly green tentacle whipped towards the small blonde girl. Unfortunetly, their cry was too late because just as Rikku turned, the tentacle snapped her full force in the torso. She screamed and went flying towards the entrance to the Farplane. She hit the edge of the walkway up to the Farplane and fell to the ground, groaning as the Dark Knight dressphere flickered off of her, leaving her in her normal form. "Rikku!" Gippal cried, spotting the hundreds of bug-like fiends pouring out of the Farplane as he ran towards Rikku's fallen form.  
  
The others desperately fought the Oversouled mutant fiend while Gippal used two smaller guns to protect Rikku from the bugs. Just when things were looking bad and HP was running low, two mysterious figures emerged from the cloud of bug fiends. Both were slashing at the fiends and making steady progress. Gippal squinted, trying to make out the two of them just as they emerged totally. One of them was the hybrid guy, wielding a cool looking glaive. He nodded to Gippal and cast an Ultima spell to wipe out a huge amount of the fiends. The other guy was like a celebrity you should recognize, but it was a little before your time. He checked on Rikku before hurrying off to help the others with the Mutant. Gippal suddenly put his finger on who that older guy reminded him of. "He looks like..." He trailed off, glancing at the hybrid guy for back up. The tall, dark haired guy nodded solemnly. "Sir Auron. He's back."  
  
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AN: it was sorta a long one, eh? i was feeling especially creative after i took my medicine today. *skips around* WEEEE! just kidding! i hope you guys like this one since its sorta like a turning point in the story. questions or comments??? R&R THEN!!! *grins and winks* peace! ~~~sa~~~ 


	8. Second Chances

HIYA!!!! sorry its been a while...sickish...school...etc, etc,etc...i'm sure you understand! here's a powerful chappie with some interesting twists! the next may be long in coming but it'll rock even harder! love ya all! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.8 Second Chances   
  
"...can you be? I mean, we don't even know if it was a normal Poison spell or what!" Gippal's frantic voice sounded dulled by the fever coursing through her body. Auron's voice joined his, calmer and more reassuring. "There's no reason to get upset. She's going to be fine." "Why are we still talking? We need to heal her NOW!" Brother's voice was loud enough that Rikku didn't have to struggle to hear it through the hot haze that seemed to be surrounding her. Coughing suddenly, she sat up, desperately trying to breathe. Gippal, Brother, and Auron were all standing around her bed in the cabin. Yuna, Tidus, Paine, and Gankee were no where to be seen. "Rikku!" Gippal cried, gripping her shoulders and looking into her glazed eyes. She tried to speak, say anything, but her tongue was swollen and all her body hurt. She felt like she was on fire. The room started spinning and she passed out again, sleeping fitfully while the others watched faithfully.  
  
When she woke up again, Gippal was pacing around by the foot of her bed while Auron discussed stronger Remedies with Barkeep. Brother and Buddy weren't in the cabin. Sitting slowly, she took a deep breath before talking. Her tongue wasn't too swollen and she actually made words this time. "Gippal..." Rikku wheezed, sounding small and scared. Immediately, he was at her side, holding her hand and nodding her on. "What...where's...Yunie? Paine?" Gippal closed his good eye briefly, relieved that she was well enough to speak. Rikku's whole body tensed; she took that gesture as a bad sign. "Rikku, they're calming down the rest of Spira. The Guadosalam incident stirred up a HUGE ruckus at Bevelle and Youth League HQ. Not to mention that all the Al Bhed are freaking, too. Your Pops is all over this one." He gushed all of this, expecting her to pass out at any second.   
  
Looking way too pale and more than a little shakey, she attempted to get out of bed only to be stopped by the gentle, but stern Gippal. "No way, missy. You're stayin' in bed until Auron and Barkeep can come up with something to get all of that toxin out of your system." Groaning, Rikku laid back down, staring at the weird looking stars that had suddenly appeared in her vision. Gippal was talking but she couldn't hear him all too well; that fever haze was back. Suddenly, she saw Auron hand Gippal something which he made her drink. Gagging on the bitter mixture of a powerful curative magic and Remedies, her vision and hearing cleared immediately. It was like someone had shoved her energy and her will to live back in her body all at once. Her cheeks got their color back and her eyes didn't look so glazy anymore.  
  
"Whoa! What WAS that stuff?" She squeaked, sitting up again. Gippal smiled and hugged her fiercely. "You're better!" He cried, happily rocking back and forth. Rikku chuckled, completely ignoring the side of her brain that told her to shove him away. She hugged him back, smiling. Auron, who smirked almost triumphantly, turned away out of respect for their privacy. He cleared his throat when he spotted Yuna rush into the cabin. Rikku jumped out of bed when she saw her cousin, too, swaying a little and leaning against Gippal for support. "YUNIE!" She screamed, making both Gippal and Auron flinch. Yuna squealed and ran all the way over to her still-a-little-weak friend. She half hugged her due to Gippal's arm already around Rikku's waist for support. "Rikku, I was so scared that...well, I'm so happy you're better!" Yuna was crying onto Rikku's shoulder and the blonde shed a few tears, too.   
  
Paine, Tidus, and a timid looking Gankee trailed along after Yuna. Paine hugged Rikku, too, half hugging Gippal in the process. Gankee reached over like he wanted to hug her, but saw Gippal and scooted away. Tidus clapped both Gippal and Rikku on the shoulder at the same time, grinning maliciously. "Sooooo, when's the wedding?" Everyone burst out laughing except the two Al Bhed love birds who blushed furiously and looked anywhere but the other's eyes. Auron once again cleared his throat for attention. They all looked at him, respectively silent. "I'm glad we're all happy to see each other again, but there are a few very pressing matters at hand." With that somber, mood wrecking statement, they all shuffled off to the bridge for a discussion on how to best deal with this crisis.  
  
Rikku leaned on Paine while Gippal gave them all a status update on the energy levels. "BOOM! That's all I have to say about this stupid energy thing. It exploded outwards at the Farplane entrance, destorying the guado in its path. Plus, now millions of fiends are pouring out of that hole as we speak. Of course, we know that most of them are no ordinary fiends. They're big, bad, and ugly." Tidus chimed in, serious look on his face and confident gleam in his eyes. "Not to mention unkillable. That mutant thing just wouldn't die." They all nodded, silently remembering the horrors of that battle. Gankee cleared his throat making Rikku look at him with that "GOD! That is SO familiar!" look on her face again. "Uh, when Rikku, Sir Auron, and I were in the Farplane, we witnessed it being destroyed by that energy mass. There really is no Farplane now."   
  
'Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Buddy interrupted. "Are you saying these dead things have no place to go?" Brother's face paled out. "Th-the dead walk among us!" He screamed, running to his cockpit seat. Auron rolled his good eye, stifling a chuckle. "That's all an understatement. If all the pyreflies of the dead, unsent and sent are free, we have a serious crisis on our hands." Paine nodded, thoughtfully rubbing her chin with her free hand. "This could get bad for all of Spira. Very bad." Gankee, his eyes fiercely bright suddenly, looked from person to person. "This looks like a job for Yuna and the Gullwings, no?" He ventured, his voice calm and placid like there wasn't really a problem at all.   
  
Rikku nodded, pushing away from Paine and standing on her own. "Yeah! Let's go, Gullwings! We've gotta help all the people in Spira...AGAIN!" Spinning around and clapping, she struck her YRP pose. Paine grinned and joined her. "Dr. P's special dose of hurt, coming right up!" Yuna thoughtfully hesitated before smiling slowly. "Gullwings, its fiend huntin' time!" Joining the YRP pose trio, Yuna grinned at a speechless Tidus who seemed shocked at this show of simultaneous team spirit. Gippal stood up and crossed his arms, closing his good eye and nodding. "Yup, time to lay down some serious smack on those crazy fiends." Tidus, feeling slightly left out, thrust his fist into the air and pumped it down (AN: He did this A LOT in FF10). "I might be a little rusty, but I'll give it my best slash and dash!" He winked at Yuna with his quirky little smile.   
  
Auron glanced at all of the happily confident, brave young heroes who had saved the world going on three times now. Gankee stood right next to him, his mismatched eyes fixed on Rikku sadly. She was skipping around with Yuna and flirting with Gippal right and left. Auron motioned to the bouncy blonde with his good arm. "With her, its best just to let her be. When she needs you, she'll find you." Gankee, not the least bit surprised that Auron sympathized with him, pushed some of his messy hair out of his face. "This doesn't concern me. I'd better leave before it gets too messy." The gruff guardian nodded, following the younger black haired man to the cockpit where they discussed his departure with Brother. Surprisingly, Auron wanted to leave with Gankee. All he had to say when Buddy asked him why was "I have my reasons."  
  
Shrugging, Gankee slipped past the group of exuberant world-savers with Auron trailing him. Neither spoke all the way to the deck and there was total silence as they waited for Brother to land the ship near the entrance to the Macalania Woods. As soon as the Celsius was close enough to the ground, both shockingly similar men leapt off at the same time. The airship lifted up and kicked its thrusters on to head back to the Mushroom Rock Road for a meeting with Nooj. Gankee brushed some dust off his shorts while standing up and glancing around for Auron. The legendary guardian was standing at the edge of the woods, staring up at their fading branches morosely. "Horrible, isn't it? The fading of one of Spira's most beautiful treasures. What a wonder Calm we have." Gankee snorted at his own sarcasm, adjusting the glaive across his back. He looked ready to stomp right through the fragile trees if they got in his way.  
  
Auron glanced critically at the boy, his eye roving over the tatoo on his arm and the gem set in his weapon. "Why are you so keen on going to Macalania anyway?" The older man asked, moving his gimpy arm in its sleeve-sling. Gankee started walking, adopting an air of purpose and reason. Compared to Auron's laidback version of this 'air', his wilted and soon became fidgety and weird. "My mother lives there, in the ice caves." Auron, who had been following Gankee at his usual leisurely looking pace, froze suddenly, his good eye wide with surprise. Memories washed over him in waves forcing him to stand there motionless until the boy realized he wasn't following anymore. "Sir Auron? Is something wrong?" Asked the suddenly horribly familiar boy as he hurried back to grasp Auron's good arm.   
  
The guardian shook his head at the realization he had come to, staring into the boy's mismatched eyes. One green, one amber. Al Bhed and regular Spiran. His own eyes were amber; that dark, almost reddish hue of the color. Odd that the boy would have eyes those two colors out of all the others in the world. Before speaking his half-baked ideas, Auron strode forward shakily, questioning Gankee as he walked. "Your mother, what is her name?" Gankee, a little confused by the old guardian's antics, jogged to catch up with him. "Maea. She's an Al Bhed researcher of the forgotten race of Spira, the Kohlso." Auron sped up this time, his footsteps echoing in the empty woods. Gankee, convinced that Auron knew his mom, ran along side the man, explaining his reasoning further.   
  
"The Kohlso are the long forgotten cousins of the Ronso. They live in the northern ice caves of Macalania where the ice fish and hunt white wolves. They're white instead of blue like the Ronso and have ice blue eyes. Their weapons are rock spears with ice points and they-" His ramblings were cut short when Auron pulled out his blade and slashed through an overhanging crystalline branch in his frustration. "I know all about the Kohlso!" He cried, angrily shoving his sunglasses further up his nose. Gankee smirked. His clever bumbling had squeezed that little confession right out of the not-so-clever older man. Still jogging to catch up with Auron's steadily increasing pace, Gankee caught a glimpse of his companion's anguished face. 'What about my mother and the Kohlso could be upsetting him that much?' Thought the still curious Gankee.  
  
The thick silence of the woods and the tension between Gankee and Auron closed in around them as they made their way through the dying woods. Focusing on the depressing nature of the dying trees and fading spheres, Gankee tried to take his mind off the nagging questions swimming through it. How did Auron know his mother? Maea was one of the only people to know anything about the Kohlso, other than Maechen, of course. Maechen taught Gankee all he knew about the white cousins of the Ronso people. In so doing, he taught Gankee all about his mother. Why was the information about Maea and the Kohlso upsetting Auron? What connection was there between his mother and this brooding guardian? Why was everything swirling through his head in question form?  
  
By the time they reached the snowy borders of the woods, Gankee was about ready to burst with all the questions in his mind. "Auron!" He cried, just as the guardian was about to stroll into the Agency. The red garbed man turned abrutly, his eye narrowed behind the shield of a pair of sunglasses. The mere tilt of his head was answer enough for Gankee who forged ahead through the snow and his questions. "How do you know my mother?" Auron's facade broke and he gazed up at the darkening sky. A frigid wind whipped around them, bringing sharp ice chips from the north. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled its lonely song to the hidden moon. Slowly looking back at the tall, dark young man, Auron's voice rang out, harse and sharp in the night. "She was my lover and the mother of my only two children. Kuron and Gankee. You." As slow and hoarse as his answer was, Gankee's reaction was much quicker. He ran to the man he never got to know as father and embraced him for the first time. And to think he never got to call him 'dad'.  
  
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AN: hope you liked it! please, feel free to ask anything or rant or anything! update coming...in a while...LOL!!! peace!~~~sa~~~ 


	9. Cupid's New Apprentice

HEY GUYS!!! sorry it took a while for me to write this chapter! its a LOOOONG chappie, by the way. plus, it isn't serious and moody like most of my others, but its still a good one with another massive battle and a devious plot. also, another clue as to who Auron's other child is appears in this one. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.9 Cupid's New Apprentice  
  
Rikku sat on the deck, staring up at the swiftly moving stars as the Celsius whizzed along. It had been a while since Gankee and Auron had left. Brother and Buddy refused to say where they had gone. She was pretty sure they were headed for Macalania still. She wanted to follow them, to see how Auron had anything to do with Gankee's quest. But, her duty was to the Gullwings and all of Spira first. Not to herself ever. Hugging her knees tightly, she thought of Gippal's open armed exceptance of her all of the sudden. After two years of not ever talking or seeing each other, he was back like nothing had happened. How could she just go back to him like there wasn't a problem? How could she ignore that fear of losing him again? The pain of losing him once was enough for a lifetime.  
  
Behind her thoughtful figure, the door from the elevator swooshed open. Jumping, Rikku turned her head to see Paine's dark figure slinking towards her. "Hey. What're you doing all alone out here? Its pretty cold." Paine shivered and sat next to her usually ditzy friend. Rikku tilted her head back and stared at the stars. "Just thinking." Her answer was unusually pensive, but Paine wasn't surprised. The poor blonde had a lot on her plate with Gippal being around all the time. Paine sorta felt jealous since she was around Gippal a lot more than Rikku was for a while. But, she understood and wasn't about to intervene. The two of them had serious issues with communication. Just shoving her thoughts aside, Paine decided to talk about Auron and Gankee instead. "Where do you think they went?" The black garbed warrior asked. Rikku sighed, seemingly this struck a chord in her fragile heart. "Macalania." She spat as an answer.   
  
Raising an offended eyebrow, Paine sniffed indignantly. "No need to get snappy. Just asking. Geez." She stood fluidly and turned to leave. Rikku, groaning at herself, leapt up and grabbed the more muscular arm. 'Wait! Paine, I need to talk to you." Paine, shaking off Rikku's gloved hand, turned back. Her curiosity always got the better of her. Rikku shifted nervously, staring at the brightly painted deck below her moving feet. "Um, do ya think Gippal, uh, do ya think he's serious?" Blinking, Paine voiced her confusion with her eyes. Groaning, Rikku wrung her hands and paced a little, something she had picked up from Yuna. "What I mean is, er, do you think he cares?" Paine crossed her arms, slightly amused at Rikku's discomfort. "Cares about what?" Her smooth voice made Rikku wanna scream. "Urgh! Do you think he honestly cares about ME? ABOUT ME!" The petite blonde screamed this at the tops of her lungs.   
  
Flinching, Paine stepped back a little. Rikku's chest was heaving and her hands were balled into fists. Blinking, this time out of shock, Paine cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her composure. "Well, I'm pretty sure he loves you still. Yeah." This did NOT please Rikku at all. Scoffing, Rikku stomped a little and did her angry dance. 'Pretty sure? YEAH? What the heck's that supposed to mean? AH! You're just like him! Saying weird, vauge things that don't actually mean anything at all! AHH!" Screaming until she went hoarse, Rikku plopped down on the deck, exhausted. More than a little freaked out by this display of insanity, Paine pretended she had to go and hurried away. As soon as the door swooshed closed, Paine shook her head. 'I need to find a way to get those two back together and talking. Its time for some rough love, Dr. P style.' Smirking at her thoughts, Paine stepped off the elevator and launched a devious plan.  
  
Tidus balked, his eyes huge and his mouth open. "You want me to help you WHAT?" Paine glared at him and covered his mouth with her hand. "Shut up! And yeah, I need your help if any of us ever wants to stay sane for very long." Tidus shoved her hand away angrily and shook his head. "No way. I've seen Rikku pissed and I don't wanna be on her bad side." He added a shudder and a grimace for effect. Paine rolled her blood red eyes. "Stop being a wuss." Tidus scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue. "I am not a wuss!" They were standing in the engine room where Tidus had been practicing some new blitz moves when Paine suggested her ludracris plan to him. He wasn't buying her "Rikku needs to be happy, too" speech or her "Do it for Yuna!" speech either.   
  
Speaking of Yuna, she bounded in just as Paine was about to wring her scrawny boyfriend's neck. "Hey guys!" She chirped cheerily. Tidus squealed and ran behind her, pointing at Paine angrily. "She called me a wuss!" Yuna raised an eyebrow at Paine who rolled her eyes again. Crossing her arms, she glared at the pansy boy cowering behind dainty Yuna. "Yeah, and? You won't help me help Rikku." Paine knew this would get Yuna's attention. Perking up, Yuna hurried over to Paine's side. "Rikku's in trouble? What's wrong? Can I help?" Smirking victoriously and flipping a single finger at Tidus around Yuna's back, Paine began explaining her plan. "Well, she isn't in dire danger or anything but..."  
  
Gippal sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. His shoulders hurt from sitting in that god-awful chair all day. He had been working on an analysis of the time it would take for the energy, pyreflies, and mutated fiends to wipe out the rest of Spira. His computer spat out that they had a week. Not too bright and happy, if he were the one deciding things. Brother and Buddy were talking in low voices and shooting him angry looks. Growling under his breath, Gippal stood up and stomped out. He was tired of feeling like the outsider, the scapegoat around there. Everyone got angry with him all the time for no good reason. Well, there was that time he accidently re-routed the entire ship's power source to his computer, causing the ship to crash in the ocean. And the time he had simulated chocobos rampaging the cabin creating mass hysteria and chaos. Or the time he had, well, he did a lot of damage inadvertantly.  
  
'No one's perfect.' He thought defensively, pressing the button on the elevator controls to take him to the cabin. He needed a drink. A stiff one on the rocks. Barkeep was scrubbing down the already spotless bar when Gippal sat down and ordered moodily. Not asking questions, the hypello said "Coming right up!" in kooky hypello fashion and slid a drink down the bar to Gippal. He nodded his thanks and drank the tall cocktail in one gulp. Shaking himself, Gippal blinked. "Whoo! That was strong, Barkeep! You're alright." The hypello bowed and thanked him profusely. After a few more drinks, Gippal stood up unsteadily and thanked Barkeep with some slurred words. Just as he stumbled over to the door, Paine, Tidus, and Yuna emerged. They all had the same steely, determined look on their faces as they dragged him up to a bed. He passed out before he could ask any questions.  
  
The next morning, after running fiend control detail in Luca, Besaid, Kilika, and on the Mi'hen Highroad, the crew all stumped back onto the airship exhausted. Flopping onto the ground near Gippal's chair, Rikku shouted something obscene in Al Bhed when she saw the clock. "Its not even noon and I'm sooooo tired!" She whined, shaking her head over and over again. Paine agreed, leaning against the wall huffily. "No rest for the strong I guess." Tidus stomped in looking dejected and tired for once. "Why can't everyone in Spira pick up a frickin' sword and fight! URGH!" He punched the wall while Yuna placed a pacifying hand on his shoulder. She seemed to be the only one of them that wasn't angry or tired or anything. Gippal limped in after her, glaring at the back of her head and sitting down awkardly. Rikku glanced nervously at his bleeding leg before looking back at Yuna. She looked like she had something to say. "We just need to keep going. We'll stop the fiends soon and then Spira can continue with the Calm. Nooj and Baralai are having their warriors fight this crisis, too. We're not alone."   
  
As inspirtational as this should've been, all her friends had their own dismissive responses. Gippal snorted laughingly and turned back to his screen, ignoring the horrible pain in his leg. Rikku laid down roughly, sighing loudly. Tidus shook his head and threw his hands up in defeat. Paine closed her eyes and the pilot and navigator of the Celsius both pretened they were too busy to react. Yuna crossed her arms and glared at each exhausted Gullwing in turn before rushing over to the CommSphere to contact Nooj. She started voicing her concerns to him while the others went about their business. Rikku tried to convince Gippal to take care of his leg while he furiously typed on his computer. Paine and Tidus took note of the angry nature with which Gippal dealt with their teeny friend when he was busy. Trading meaningful glances, they both left the bridge. Not talking until they reached the elevator, they both started angrily shouting things about Gippal or Rikku at the same time. Laughing a little, Tidus told her to go first.  
  
"Rikku's a little clingy and controlling sometimes." She stated plainly, much more calm then she had intially been. Tidus directed the elevator to the engine room before nodding. "Yeah. But, Gippal's too distant. He needs to open up to suggestion. Like me." He added this brightly, dreamily thinking of his Yuna. Paine faked puking as they arrived at the engine room. "Please! You'd jump off a bridge if Yunie-poo begged." Paine slunk off towards the pistons trailed by a blushing Tidus. 'Y-yeah. That's what love is sometimes." Paine nodded, pondering her plan and snapping her fingers with an idea. Tidus never had seen her so excited about anything the whole two weeks he had known her. "I just came up with a way to get them to notice their feelings again! Listen, first we have to..." Tidus listened attentively and agreed with the whole thing. "Perfect!" He cried, doing that fist in the air thing he always did. Grinning slightly maliciously, Paine rubbed her hands together. This was gonna be fun.  
  
Yuna was discussing something seriously with Gippal when the two plotters returned to the bridge. Tidus bounded to his sweetie, hugging her when she was mid-sentence. "I have to tell you something!" With that, he dragged a surprised Yuna out into the hallway. Paine noted Rikku's absence curiously. She also noted Gippal's angry/brooding face as he turned back to his console for the millionth time that day. "Gippal, what's up? You seem a little, uh, angry? Tense?" Paine ventured in Al Bhed, leaning on the wall near Gippal, facing him. He glanced at her with his uncovered eye attempting to seem innocent. Shrugging his sore shoulders and flinching at the pain, he stopped working for a minute. "Well, it looks like Spira has a week to live, Rikku's mad at me again, Buddy and Brother won't talk to me, and I think Nooj is gonna take over the Gullwings the way Yuna keeps going to him for advice."  
  
He spouted all of this and Paine digested it slowly, noting the defensive suggestion that something happened between him and Rikku while she was plotting with Tidus. At that moment Yuna and Tidus came back in wearing identical amused expressions. Winking at Paine, Tidus followed Yuna to Brother. The unique girl in black returned to the blonde guy sitting in his chair. His face was paler than usual and there were beads of sweat on his forehead. Noting his pained expression, Paine (AN: pained and Paine...hee hee) decided not to press the matter and let him get back to work.  
  
Later that day, after some serious preparation on Paine and the crew's parts, the plan was ready to be put into action. Buddy and Brother were in on it, too, be imparitive to the part where the Celsius had to inadvertantly land twice. When everything was in place, Paine gave Tidus and Yuna the signal to get Rikku going. She was sitting in the cabin looking sadly out the window at the moving clouds beyond. Yuna immediately launched into the carefully prepared script for this little charade. "Rikku! Rikku! This is so horrible! You HAVE to come see this!" She hurried up the stairs while Tidus trailed her, nodding and looking panicky. Rikku jumped up, glad for the action so she couldn't ponder what she had been pondering. "What is it? What happened?" Yuna produced a sphere and handed it to Rikku, who watched it eagerly.  
  
The sphere showed a warbled image of Gippal being attacked by that mutated monster from the Farplane incident. It was snarling and wrapped its tentacles around Gippal's narrow waist, lifting him high above its head. In the background Rikku spotted the caves of Gagazet so the fiend must be inside the moutain. The recording broke off into snapping noises and a fizzly screen. Rikku dropped the sphere with a clatter and covered her mouth with her hands. "Rikku..." Yuna placed a comforting hand on her friend's slim shoulder. The shoulder was shaking with the effort to hold back tears. Blinking and shaking her head, knowing she had to save her man, Rikku nodded resolutely. "We have to go help him! Where was that sphere recorded?" She turned and hurried to leap off the landing on her way to the bridge. Tidus and Yuna followed, Yuna nudging her boy toy to say his line. "Oh, um, we had Buddy analyze it and he said it was recorded on the Zanarkand-ward side of Gagazet." Grinning at her blonde blitzer, Yuna hurriedly said her line. "Its Gullwing time!"   
  
At that same moment, Brother was lowering the Celsius so Paine and an angry looking Gippal could leap onto the Calm Lands-ward slope of Gagazet. Paine had shown Gippal a sphere of Rikku being attacked by the mutant monster and he flipped, ordering the Celsius down to the slopes immediately. As soon as they hit the ground, Gippal took off running. He had this look of cruel determination on his face. Saving Rikku was the reason he had left her in the first place and now he finally got to do what he set out to do. Paine knew that was exactly what her friend was thinking and had played off of that emotion. Her plan was working perfectly. As soon as they reached the caves of the Fayth Scar, a hologram of that mutant fiend would start attacking either Gippal or Rikku in holographic form, depending on the side of the moutain. Paine still had to set up the whole thing and thus had to find a clever way to ditch Gippal before he reached the caves.   
  
Spotting a snow drift, Paine dove into it, ignoring the searing cold on her bare skin. Gippal's voice crying out for her was muffled by the snow. He swore in Al Bhed and continued on. Apparently, Rikku was more important to him; Paine ignored her pain and waited a minute or two before hopping out of the snow and taking the teleporter to the caves. She rushed to the spot she picked for the sphere-projector Shrina had left on the airship. If she set up the two spheres she had stashed away right, when Rikku ran into the cave, she'd see Gippal being attacked by the monster. And vice versa for Gippal's entrance. Hopefully, if Tidus and Yuna hurried, the two Al Bheds would reach the cave at the same time and when they started to fight the hologram, would find the other person on the other side. If all went well and they reacted the way Paine wanted, they would be so overjoyed to see the other they'd forget the little stunt Paine pulled. Smirking as she set up her devious finale, she congratulated herself. 'They'll thank me later.' She decided, ignoring the lonely hollowness in her stomach.  
  
Yuna and Tidus struggled to keep up with Rikku as the small girl leapt from rock to rock, desperate to reach the caves before that monster tore Gippal's head off. Neither of the conspirators had counted on the massive blizzard that had picked up the minute they landed. Shivering, Yuna transformed into Trainer (AN: It looks like the warmest dressphere!) and sent Kogoro to keep track of Rikku. Tidus trudged along, hugging himself to keep warm. All they had to do was make sure Rikku got to the caves at the exact same time as Gippal. Otherwise the plan would fall flat on its cleverly planned face. Yuna glanced over her shoulder at her shivering boyfriend. "Tidus, do you want to use my Garment Grid to keep warm? This Trainer dressphere is really toasty." Tidus nodded, eagerly equipping the dressphere and transforming into a male Trainer. A weird little white bear-thing made a squeaky roar and appeared on his head. Chuckling, the two Trainers hurried to catch up with Rikku.  
  
Gippal didn't care that the ice in the wind was ripping into his skin or that his leg was still bleeding or anything. All he cared about was saving Rikku; his mind was completely filled with her. He kept remembering their whole life together, all the good times and the bad. He thought about how he had been acting towards her lately and realized that he tended to take her for granted now that they were back in the same airship all the time. Stopping for a mintue, he stared at the snow covered ground dejectedly. 'I suck. I can see why she doesn't really care about me anymore.' Struggling against the bitter tears that suddenly filled his uncovered eye, Gippal growled at himself and kept running. He could see the caves up ahead and intended to do some MASSIVE damage to that stupid fiend. Never once did he question how the hell the monster got to Rikku in the first place if she was on the airship the whole time.  
  
Rikku didn't seem to think it odd, either, that Gippal had been kidnapped right from under her nose. She was nearing the Fayth Scar and could hear the roars of the monster. They sent a shiver down her spine, but she ignored her fear. All she thought about was how much she cared about Gippal. She'd do anything for him, even if he'd just write it off and ignore her all the time. Even if he deserted her for two years more. Tears streaming down her wind-raw face, Rikku kept climbing snow drift after snow drift, ignoring everything but the image of Gippal in her mind. As soon as she reached the caves and the wind slacked, she broke into a confident, sorta panicky run and spotted the mutant swinging its ugly tentacles around. Gippal was no where to be seen, but she ignored that. 'He must be on the other side.' She thought, preparing for battle.   
  
Tidus and Yuna ran up behind her, back in their normal clothes. Yuna gasped and Tidus stared in awe at what he thought was a hologram. 'Paine did an awesome job!' Tidus thought, nodding as he examined the realistic monster. Yuna was the only one who spotted the unconcious Paine and the smashed spheres near the feet of the monster. That thing was the real deal! Quickly transforming into a Dark Knight, Yuna slammed the thing with a stunning Black Sky attack. Rikku took the hint and transformed into a Samurai, planning on using the Mirror of Equity when her HP got low. Tidus pulled out the Brotherhood and rushed forward, dodging the tentacles skillfully. Yuna ran to check on Paine while Rikku was busy fighting the monster. Her cousin's cries and Tidus' battle calls echoed with the monster's roars and the distant sound of running water.   
  
"Paine!" Cried Yuna, changing into a White Mage and casting Full-Life and then Full-Cure on her friend. Paine opened her eyes with a gasp, sitting up quickly. Spotting Yuna, she grabbed the girl's shoulders. "Yuna! The real mutant came and wrecked my-" She froze, looking over Yuna's shoulder to see Rikku and Tidus battling the angry Mutant. Gippal came around the corner just in time to see Rikku get thrown across the cave and change back into a Thief. "RIKKU!" He roared, firing some powerful shells at the monster. Paine stood up shakily, grabbing Yuna's arm for support. "I have to fight. This is all my fault." Paine growled, seriously disappointed in herself. Yuna, being a hater of self-pity (AN: Eventhough she's big on self-pity herself...), shook her head. "Paine, no, this isn't your fault. You were trying to help them get back together. You didn't know this fiend would show up." Paine turned her angry gaze to Yuna's placid, green-and-blue eyes. "No. 'Find a sphere and the fiends appear'. I knew the sphere screen would bring fiends, but I still used it. Damn fool..." She trailed off, transforming into a Beserker and losing herself to Beserk.  
  
Yuna watched the battle for a minute before running to heal Rikku. The blonde leapt up, thanked Yuna hurriedly, and ran back into the fray. The first thing Rikku saw was Gippal crying out in pain and collapsing onto his knees. His leg was bleeding horribly and the monster had fired a spell of some sort straight at the offended appendage. "Gippal!" Rikku screamed, switching all of her dresspheres onto herself to get to her special one. As soon as the blue light filled her, she felt the incredible strength of the Machina Maw fill her, too. 'With this sphere, I can save Gippal! And all my friends!' She thought, waiting for the transformation to be over before speaking. "LET'S GO!" Rikku cried, shooting the Mutant with all she had.   
  
Yuna still watched from the sidelines, casting curative spells when she needed to. Tidus was holding his own by slicing off the poisonous tentacles while Paine viciously attacked the head and torso of the massive mutant. Gippal struggled valiantly to keep fighting eventhough he was so badly injured already that he kept falling over from the loss of blood. Rikku tried her best to defend Gippal while attacking furiously. Feeling utterly useless, Yuna cast Regen on everyone before quickly switching dresspheres to become Flora Fallal. Giving a supportive call to each of her friends, she joined the fray by repeatedly cast her Flare ability. Eventually, it looked like they were wearing the thing out. Eventhough pyreflies kept flying into it from no where and giving it a boost, the group kept fighting. Each one had his or her own reason to fight and win. Gippal and Rikku were fighting to save each other, Paine was fighting to fix her mistake, Tidus was fighting to protect his new and old friends, and Yuna was fighting for all of Spira. She figured this fiend was the source of the other fiends and by beating this one, they could stop the crisis all together.  
  
"Guys! We can do this! We all need to attack at once! Ready?" Yuna cried, casting Curaga on the tired party. Each one nodded, leaping back to prepare for their final strike. "Right!" They called, agreeing that they could take it down or die trying. However more likely the second choice seemed, each person yelled and rushed the Mutant one last time. "For Spira!" Screamed Yuna as the beast burst into millions of pyreflies, surrounding them in a whirling cloud of little glowing creatures. Transforming back to normal, everyone watched as the unkillable Mutant swirling away as tiny little pyreflies. Tidus yelled and pointed to a figure crouching in the center of the storm of pyreflies. Squinting, Yuna tried to see who it could be. Gasping, she covered her mouth and stayed where she was. Rikku crept forward, still not seeing who it was. Squealing, she ran backwards when she spotted the nauseatingly familiar blue hair, robes, and pointed face. "Seymour!" Cried Tidus, pulling his sword out again.  
  
The last guado looked at Yuna pleadingly and mouthed "I'm sorry" before disappearing with the rest of the pyreflies. Blinking, Paine didn't even bother asking questions since Yuna ran to Tidus and sobbed onto his shoulder in her usual upset fashion. Rikku shook herself and whirled around, spotting Gippal lying on the ground. "Gippal!" She screamed, running to his side. Paine hurried over, too, staying a safe distance away in case either wanted to slaughter her for this stupid plan. Gippal was knocked out or had fainted, judging by the blood still soaking his pant leg. Sobbing loudly, Rikku cast a LOT of white magic on him until he opened his eyes. In the struggle, his eye patch had somehow fallen off, but to her surprise, there was no horribly wounded eye behind it. She leaned forward, curious about the eye as it opened. Gippal groaned and then smiled when he saw Rikku leaning over him. Noting the different (AKA NOT GREEN) coloration of his eye, Rikku made a mental note to ask him about that later. Right now she burst into tears and hugged him tightly. He sat up and hugged her back, stroking her hair lovingly. Paine smiled. Well, the plan hadn't been a TOTAL failure after all.   
  
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AN: so so so??? any thoughts on the second son??? any ANYTHING??? PLEASE R&R!!! i need some input here! alrighty, i'm working on chapter 10 as we speak, so you won't have to wait too terribly long for it. love you all! toodles! ~~~sa~~~ 


	10. Reunited

hello hello hello! i hope you all like the way the story is headed ( if you don't tell me in a review! ^_^). i'm trying to keep it moving as quickly as possible. oh and luckylady1818? i sorta threw in that bit about Paine as a twist on her loyal-to-her friends side. she really wants to see both Rikku and Gippal happy and if it took her being a little OOC, i wanted to try it. sorry if it made anything seem weird!   
  
toodles!~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.10: Reunited  
  
Auron watched his son sleep affectionately. He had never seen the boy before that day, really. They were staying at the Agency for a few days to catch up. Gankee had been talking about his life all night and was exhausted. He slept so peacefully under the watch of his father. Father. Auron smiled a little at the title he now held. He was a father with someone there to call him thus. More than ever, he was glad at that moment that he had been given a second chance. Otherwise, he would never had had the chance to meet even one of his sons. Pondering where his other son could be, Auron walked over to the window and stared out at the windy night. Snow whirled around outside the window and he heard a wolf howl again. This seemingly struck a nerve for he closed his eyes with a flinch. 'Maea...' He thought longingly, touching the glass distractedly.  
  
In the morning, Gankee woke up to find Auron alseep in the chair near the window. Smiling, he quietly left the room so as to not wake his father. Father. Gankee smiled at the title he could finally call someone honestly. His father had come back from the Farplane because there was still something he had to do. Gankee knew it was to find his sons and at least live a little while with them. Speaking of 'sons', Gankee pondered who his brother could be. Auron, urgh, his father had said that they were twins, both with the same mismatched eyes. Unfortunetly, his dad had had to leave before either son developed distinguishing features, besides the eyes. Maea, Gankee's mother, had been very scared that Auron would get in trouble with the Maesters if they found out about them having children out of wedlock. Plus, she was an Al Bhed which made it all ten times worse.   
  
That's why she shrugged them off with the rich family in Luca who couldn't have children. Maea met with Auron one last time in Bevelle before Braska's pilgramage and that was the last time either one saw the other. When Braska's crew had reached Macalania Temple, Auron slipped away to find the Kohlso caves, but it was useless. They were too well hidden for protection reasons. Gankee had been glad that he wasn't a curse to his mother, but was given away for the protection of his father. Gankee asked where his brother had been taken, but Auron had no answers. All he figured was that Maea had given both boys to the family in Luca. Both dark haired men were confused as to why Kuron was no where to be seen. Gankee currently stood just outside the Agency, having just paid O'aka and then some for his hospitality.   
  
Taking a deep breath of the frigid air, Gankee rubbed his hands together for warmth. His thoughts turned from his parents and brother to his surrogate sister. Rikku hadn't been around when Auron and himself had jumped ship. Sadly, he didn't want to say goodbye yet. He cared about Rikku and he knew it wasn't in a way more than a brotherly affection. He had figured that out when he saw Gippal with his lil sis and no feelings of jealousy had overtaken him. Smiling, Gankee heard what he thought was the roar of the Celsius some where in the distance. 'They must be landing on Gagazet, judging by the distance of the sound.' Thought the son of Auron a little longingly. He liked life on the Celsius enough to want to be with them on Gagazet right then. Plus, he felt kinda bad that he had deserted them in the middle of the Farplane crisis. But, his family was very important to him and he wanted to find his mother. Then he, his father, and possibly his mother would search for Kuron.  
  
The door opened behind him and Gankee turned to greet his father cheerfully. The usually morose man smiled and waved in response. "Ready to go, dad?" Gankee asked, liking the way "dad" just rolled off his tongue. Auron seemed to like it too because he smiled a little wider and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, son." He slapped his son on the shoulder before starting on the road to the hole of the lake. Gankee adjusted his glaive and nodded, following his father silently. The cool thing about this father and son set up was since they were both so much alike, neither was big on talking. Content with the silence of the wind and the reassuring presence of the other man walking alongside, each walked along quiet as the snow. When they reached the gaping whole where the temple had once resided, Auron paused for a moment to get his bearings. Gankee walked up next to him and pointed northeast from their location. "According to Maechen, the Kohlso live up in that region. We'll know when we enter their territory." Auron smiled at his son's matter-of-fact nature. "Alright then. Lead the way." Gankee chuckled and gladly took the lead.  
  
It took them two whole days of walking in the frigid cold before they saw any signs of life at all, other than the fiends. Luckily, the Farplane crisis wasn't effecting the Macalania region yet so the two highly skilled warriors made short work of the fiends. That sign of intelligent life was a wooden staff stuck in a fracture in the ice they were walking on. A blue cloth with odd symbols on it and fish bones attached to it fluttered on the wind. Gankee curiously studied the markings on the cloth, seeing as the staff was no taller than he was. Auron looked around cautiously, suddenly aware that they were being watched. 'These symbols are fascinating, father! They're an ancient dialect stemming from the Ronso language." The knowledge thirsty boy eagerly read the symbols without comprehending more than two. Auron nodded, gruffly stepping in front of his currently occupied son. "Enthralling." He breathed, scanning the area surrounding them with his good eye.   
  
Something was definetely out there. Pulling his sword out and crouching for battle, Auron motioned to the shocked Gankee to do the same. A little surprised, Gankee shook his head and was about to explain something to his father when a stone spear flew into the staff. Yelping, Gankee leapt away from it, noting the ice point. Auron growled and rushed to the spot he supposed the spear had been launched from. "Wait! Dad! Its ok they're-" He was cut off by a loud roar as Auron attacked one of the Kohlso surrounding him. Outraged, the other three Kohlso attacked his father all at once, taking him down with their vicious spears. Crying out, Gankee ran to his father, bowing respectfully to the Kohlso. After reviving Auron, Gankee attempted to communicate with the Kohlso.  
  
The four Kohlso all regarded the two men with matching suspicious expressions. Each one had a pair of piercing light blue eyes, a few ice-blade daggers, and they all wore similar loin clothes that bore the symbol for warrior. Supposing they were frontier guards, Gankee started grunting some words in their language. In any other situation, Auron would've cracked up at the seriousness with which his son grunted, snorted, and stomped at the Kohlso. The apparent leader nodded when Gankee had finished saying something about Maea. All four Kohlso turned and marched off. Gankee turned to his father, a triumphant grin on his face. "They forgive you for attacking their companion. And they know mother!" Auron felt a little shiver shoot up his spine at the mention of his beloved. "Do they want us to follow them?" He asked, pushing aside his boyish excitement harshly. Gankee nodded and jogged to catch up with the slowly gaited Kohlso.   
  
Auron was surprised at how much these creatures looked like the Ronso. He supposed that was to be expected since they were the descendants of long-exiled Ronso. The only major difference was the white fur of the Kohlso and the slightly stouter stature that they possessed. But, as Auron had learned the hard way, they were not less skilled warriors. Gankee was eagerly following the white warriors with an excited look on his face. Auron judged that half of that excitement was the excitement of meeting his mother while the other half was the chance to learn. His son thirsted for knowledge and adventure just as he once did, before meeting Braska. Braska had instilled a firm sense of honor and duty in Auron who became the summoner's guardian to regain some of that lost honor.  
  
Sighing, Auron tried not to think about how badly that journey had ended. Gankee's gasp of awe made him suddenly aware that they were no longer out in the open. Quite the contrary, actually; they stood inside the entrance of an incredibly carved ice cave. Designs were etched onto every surface, images depicting the Kohlso's history beginning with their exile from the mountain. Gankee reached out to touch the carving of the first group of Kohlsos, but a warning grunt from the leader of the warrior pack made him stop. Auron stepped up behind his bewildered son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The Kohlso kept walking in their slow but steady manner, giving Gankee plenty of time to stare at his surroundings in awe. As the light from the weak northern sun was lost in the depths of the caves, a steady blue light seemed to leak out from the very walls themselves.   
  
Auron was about to ask Gankee about this when his son launched into an explanation quietly. "The Kohlso used a special ice-like stone to reinforce their caves. That stone is something like sphere crystal and gives off this blue light." Gankee's mismatched eyes were so wide with wonderment that Auron couldn't help byt chuckle. The caves were shockingly complex and soon Auron had lost count of how many turns they made. Sometimes they passed a well lit passageway were the disant murmur of voices could be heard. Other times they passed dark corridors that reeked of death. Trying not to guess what could lie within the depths of the darker passages, Auron diverted his attention to the smells of wood smoke and fish.   
  
Wave of warmth washed over them suddenly and Gankee noted how the ice of the passageway they were walking in currently was melting. Soon, they were walking on bare stone and the light around them changed from cold blue to warm orangey yellow. The sounds of mingled voices and singing reached their ears and the Kohlso sped up a bit. They entered a cavern that was much wider than the main entrance they had walked into. Gankee stared at the sheer number of Kohlso he saw milling about. Most were adults, working on this or that task while the minority of children played in the aisles between little cloth teepees. Each seperate dwelling place was decorated with that family's special symbol making each unique and interesting to look at. Also, each home had a smoke hole at the top where little trickles of gray smoke poured out regularly.   
  
At the center of the apparent village, there was a huge fire pit that was currently being stacked with wood. There was going to be a feast, judging by the amount of work going into that pit. Gankee stopped walking to soak it all in. So much information here that no human knew; so many new facts to learn. Auron touched his son's arm to get him back to reality. "I think we should still follow our friends there." He whispered gruffly, indicating the retreating backs of their companions. When they caught up, it was just the leader of the group standing there, waiting. Gankee inquired as to the whereabouts of the others in broken Kohlso. The leader grinned toothily and chuckled. "I speak your language, man-boy." Gankee jumped making both the Kohlso and Auron chuckle warmly.   
  
"Oh, well, uh, I mean..." Gankee was utterly baffled as to why the Kohlso knew the common tongue. The wise looking beast seemed to read his thoughts keenly. "Maea taught us all how to speak Common Speech and Al Bhed, in case we ever met any Yevonites or more Al Bhed." Auron nodded, silent at the mention of Maea. Gankee stammered, his eyes glowing furiously. "Why didn't you speak either language earlier then?" He said, still pretty overwhelmed. The warrior Kohlso shrugged. "You seemed to like speaking our language better." Gankee looked like he was about to pass out in response to that statement. Auron patted his son comfortingly on the back before venturing forward to address the warrior. "You spoke of Maea before. Is she here?" The warrior nodded, answering Auron's two questions easily. "Yes, we know Maea. She has lived with us for over ten moons now. She is one of us." Auron blinked his good eye at the defensiveness with which the Kohlso ended his statement.  
  
While the two older people spoke, Gankee noticed how a crowd of curious Kohlso was gathering. Waving and smiling at the multitude of white, furry faces, Gankee tried not to run up to each and ask a million questions. Meanwhile, Auron tried to ask where Maea was and if they could go see her. Before the warrior could answer, the crowd around them parted while a hush fell on the cave as a whole. Gankee felt as if someone very important was coming and so, smoothed out his shorts and ran a hand through his wind blown hair. An elderly looking Kohlso limped towards him, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Gankee critically. She wore some beautiful assortment of clothes wrapped like a summoner's robe. The robes themselves were varying shades of blue and white. Her wispy looking head-fur was braided with fish bones and blue beads, decorating her as a leader some sort. All the Kohlso bowed their heads to her as she made her way to the center of the crowd.  
  
Even the proud warrior Kohlso shut up and bowed low. Auron turned to see what was going on and stepped over to Gankee's side. "Do you suppose that is their Elder?" He whispered to his knowedgable son. To Auron's surprise, Gankee shrugged. "I have no clue. But that's my guess." The elderly Kohlso stopped directly in front of Gankee and stared at his mis matched eyes in that same critical way. "Maea's son." She said in proud Common Speech, her Kohlso accent heavy and thick. Gankee nodded, not looking away from the ice blue eyes. Then the female Kohlso stepped over to Auron and examined his red robe first before his face. She paused before speaking again, her facial expression changing from critical to slightly hostile in a split second. " Maea's lover." Auron nodded to this, ignoring the fact that it sounded more like an insult than a title.  
  
Glancing at both men in turn, the Kohlso stepped back and cleared her throat. "I am Elder Lorelei, leader and chieftan of the Kohlso people. I welcome you, Maea's son and Maea's lover, to the Cavern of Kohlso. All, let us rejoice in this happy hour." All the Kohlso gave a mighty cheer and there was a rush of the cat-like people towards the two humans. Everyone seemed to want to shake their hands and just look at them. They were almost as curious as Gankee; almost. After a while, an amused looking Lorelei led them away from the crowd, telling all her people to prepare for the feast. The happy looking white beasts went about their work happily. Lorelei led them to another cave on the other side of the cavern where it was quite silent. She had her own personal cavern that was much smaller than the other, but still very nice. A few teepees populated this one, but there was no fire pit. Gankee guessed these were the homes of Lorelei's advisors or servants. The largest teepee of all stood where the fire pit would've been, if there had been one.   
  
It was made out of the same fabric as the Elder's robes, decorated with the Kohlso symbol for Elder. Lorelei led them inside the warm teepee and served them some strong berry tea that warmed them right up. They sat there in silence with the slightly unsettling gaze of Lorelei analyzing their every feature. After what seemed like forever, the flap behind Lorelei opened and a woman stepped through. An Al Bhed woman. Gankee stood up, wanting to run to his mother and hug her. Lorelei stood as well, barring his path so he just stood there and stared. She looked small and frail, like Rikku, dressed in a short orange and red sleeveless shirt. Her skirt was also red and orange and fell to the ground, tied around her waist. Also, around her waist there were three or four strings of multicolored beads and fish bones. Her golden hair was braided into one long braid that was also adorned with beads and bones at the end. Her wrists were decorated with metallic bracelets and beads, too.   
  
Maea stood there and looked at her long lost son for a long moment before bursting into tears and running to him. "Gankee! I'm so sorry!" Was all she could utter before burying her face in her son's shoulder. Gankee hugged her tightly, feeling the need to protect her strongly. Now he knew where his need to protect Rikku came from; his inert feeling for his Al Bhed mother. Gazing up at her dark haired son's face, those green eyes filled with tears again. She pushed a stray strand of his hair out of his eyes with a shaky hand. "You look so much like him." She uttered, shaking with her painful sobs. Auron stood fluidly and stepped out of the shadows of the teepee. Maea gasped, stepping away from Gankee at the sight of Auron. Her eyes scanned him fully and she hesitated a little. "Auron? Is that really you?" She breathed, obviously shocked. Gankee smiled and nodded, seeing how speechless his father was at the sight of his long lost lover.  
  
Auron stepped towards her, stopping right in front of her. They both just stood there, unspoken words spanning the years to bring them back together. Silently, Maea threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Gankee smiled more widely and Lorelei moved to stand next to the boy. "I am happy for them." She said gruffly. Gankee nodded. "Me too. Its good to see my parents together."   
  
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AN: SO? whaddya think of Gankee's mommy? she'll be developed a little more in the next couple of chappies i promise. please R&R! ~~~sa~~~ 


	11. Flying Without Wings

HEY!!!! i know its been a while since i updated, but i haven't gotten any reviews for chappie 10. *sniffles* what's up with that? i'm not gonna stop updating just 'cuz no one loves me anymore. *nods* the show must go on! PLEASE R&R ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.11: Flying Without Wings Hurts  
  
Paine stood with her arms adamantly crossed in the open pod bay door of the Celsius. They had landed in Macalania a few minutes earlier and the others were trying to convince her to leave the ship. Rikku whined loudly while Paine just rolled her eyes. Yuna and Tidus coaxed her with gil and spheres to no avail. Gippal stood silently beside Rikku seeming to share Paine's stony sentiments. Plus, he knew it was pointless to try and change her mind once she made it up. "Paine! Come ON! We have to go find them!" Rikku squealed, stomping angrily on the snowy ground. Paine would've said something snappy if she hadn't been feeling so utterly crushed that day. Her blood red eyes fell from Rikku's pleading face to her waist where Gippal's arm circled posessively. Then the twin orbs of red shifted over to Tidus and Yuna who were holding hands casually. Blinking, she shook her head and stepped backwards into the ship. She punched the wall next to her and hit the button to close the door. A collective shout echoed through the metal door behind her as she turned and walked away.  
  
The cold metal of the elevator's railing seem to comfort her for some reason. In that split second that she had spotted both of the happy couples' happiness in Couplesville, Paine had only wished to kill them all. She didn't normally feel so violently inclined towards her friends, but ever since her scheme to get Rikku and Gippal back together, she had regretted it. Now there were two sets of giggling, flirting teens galavanting all over the airship while Paine and the others TRIED to figure out what to do about Spira's dilemma. Usually, Paine wouldn't have cared, but for some reason she never wanted to see any of her happy friends again. The elevator stopped at the bridge and she slunk off to talk to Brother. She needed to get away from her friends to ease the ache in her heart. A lonely, lead weight had settled on Paine's heart ever since she realized she was utterly alone. Yuna had Tidus, Rikku had Gippal and Gankee, if she wanted him. But Paine, she had no one but herself.  
  
Being all alone surrounded by all your loved ones gets kinda old after a while. Paine figured this was how Rikku felt during her period of depression over the past few weeks. Of course, Paine had been playing happy, too, and then doubly because Rikku was down. Sighing heavily as she slumped down in Gippal's seat, Paine felt that horrible ache in her heart grow a little. Brother, who was busy explaining to Rikku to radio when she found Auron and Gankee, didn't notice Paine sitting there dejectedly. Neither did Buddy, who was excitedly scanning the empty ice fields for any sign of life. Both thought she was with the others. 'I'm glad they both have something to keep them occupied.' She mentally growled, balling her hands into fists. She shifted her stare to the computer in front of her. Gippal's screen was currently occupied with a cartoony version of the Gullwings all chasing chocobos. Paine leaned forward, noting the fact that her little pixel-self was angrily standing alone. The little squarish arms were crossed and the teeny little red eyes were narrowed.   
  
Groaning, Paine stood up and stormed out of the bridge. Neither Al Bhed looked up as she slammed her way back onto the elevator. As she fumed about the fact that one of her old friends saw her as a heartless bitch, Paine tried hard not to cry. She hadn't cried since the day she had broken her leg and she vowed then to never cry again. Swallowing the burning tears, Paine jogged out onto the deck. Her mind was full of all kinds of angry and hurt thoughts, but one stood out above the rest. 'The only reason I'm along is that there's something wrong with me. I'm a freak. Weird. Outcast. Everything taboo.' The hot, scathing thoughts slashed into her mind and made her hot with anger. She wanted to stop the flaw, to end the wrongness. Do anything to be like all the other giggly, bubbly girls in the world. Self-pity and hatred spread to engulf her whole being and she saw one way out. The edge of the airship. Stepping forward in a trance-like daze, Paine leapt off the ship and into the snow-clouds hovering over Macalania.   
  
Meanwhile, Rikku, Gippal, Yuna, and Tidus trekked silently through the wilds of Macalania. Rikku was at the head of the pack, angrily stomping in snow piles and kicking ice crystals. Gippal followed closely, sighing every time Rikku screamed something cruel about 'Big Meanie Paine'. Neither Tidus nor Yuna spoke until Rikku stubbed her toe on a stubborn icicle formation. Yuna threw her hands up in exasperation, going into lecture mode. "Rikku, would you STOP being such a brat? Throwing a tantrum isn't gonna make Paine care about Auron or Gankee. So STOP IT!" Tidus stepped back with Gippal, both guys sensing the cat fight that insued. Rikku stop massaging her foot and glared at Yuna. "WHAT? Did you just call me a brat?" Yuna sighed, her short lived anger subsiding. "Yes and I'm sorry. I guess I'm just cold and tired." Rikku sighed, her anger fizzling out, too. She shivered and hugged herself for warmth. "Yeah, me too. Plus, I'm mad at Paine for not wanting to help us. How could she be soooo mean?"   
  
Yuna shrugged and placed a comforting hand on her cousin's shoulder. "We should find somewhere to rest out of this wind, right?" Rikku smiled a little and nodded. Then they linked arms and started to search for said place. Both boyfriends traded confused glances and followed. Tidus, who was a little more perceptive than he let on, voiced a quiet question to his new found comrade. "So, Gippal, why don't you wanna find Gankee? Isn't he one of Rikku's good friends?" Gippal snorted, his visible eye narrowing slightly. "I just don't like stupid half breeds like him." Tidus smirked a little, motioning towards Yuna's back. "Yuna's a stupid half breed." Gippal choked on his witty come back and speechlessly shrugged. Tidus chuckled, slapping the taller guy's back playfully. "Don't worry. I know how you feel. When we had to go to Macalania Temple on Yuna's pilgramage, I didn't wanna find Seymour for the same reason." Gippal smiled, feeling the understanding pour out of Tidus' open blue eyes. There was just something encouraging about him.  
  
While the Gullwings tramped around in the wind looking for a place to rest, a lone Kohlso tramped out into that wind to hunt. He was a stout little fellow out on his first solo hunt, a rite of passage for the hunter Kohlsos. His spear gleamed in the weak, grayish sunlight and his eyes gleamed with a hunger similiar to a predator's hunger. Sniffing the icy wind, the Kohlso leapt from the ice cliff he was crouching on, following a scent. Some smell oddly familiar, yet still unknown drew him through several crevasses of ice. It was a generally quiet day, despite the howl of the wind. The young Kohlso heard an odd noise much like that of a wounded animal's cry yet distinctly different. Pausing for a moment, he sniffed the air again and picked out one of the myriad of scents he recognized. Blood.  
  
Growling hungrily, the Kohlso thrust his spear into his rope belt and crouched on all fours eagerly. His animal instincts took over and he galloped towards the swiftly louder and more pained cries of the wounded animal. He needed a little snack before heading out for his actual kill. Soon, the cries of the animal were lost on the wind and only the sickly sweet smell of blood crowded his senses. Using his sharp claws as brakes as he slid around an icy corner, the Kohlso spotted the animal. His ice-blue eyes widened and he stood up like a normal, civilized person. His shock was plain on his cat-like face as he approached the wounded creature slowly. It appeared not to be an animal at all, but one of those human things Maea spoke of. It seemed female and was sprawled out on the ice, bleeding badly from too many wounds. The Kohlso remembered what Maea had said about helping others in need and he lifted the pale human girl in his arms. She cried out and her whole body convulsed from pain.  
  
She seemed to be badly hurt, especially her back. Her eyes were squeezed closed and she was panting, her light brown hair matted with blood. Without a second thought, the hunter-in-training abandoned his hunt for this girl. He had to get her back to Maea before it was too late. He could feel the life seeping out of her. Quickly. Making sure he wouldn't jar her while he ran, the young Kohlso took off with a steady jog. He took wide strides and stopped often to let the girl rest a little. All the while, he tried to identify her clan. All the humans of Spira had one clan or another; the Yevonites, the Al Bhed, the Rebels. This girl seemed to fall in the third category. She confused him on his analysis of her origins when she cried out in Maea's language when he accidently tripped on a stone, almost dropping her. Shaking his head, the Kohlso decided to not think anymore and kept running. He didn't have much time left before the girl slipped in the Spirit Realm completely.  
  
Yuna sat at the mouth of the cave they were resting in, watching the snow fall thoughtfully. Rikku was helping the guys keep a fire going by casting Fire spells every now and again. They were talking quietly about whether or not to keep going until dark. Glancing at the darkening sky, Yuna tried to guess what time it could be. She hadn't counted on getting that far into the wilds in one day, but Rikku was pretty persistant about finding Auron and Gankee. Yuna's mismatched eyes were scanning the horizion when she thought she spotted something moving. Jumping up with a cry, Yuna ran out into the snow. Tidus, Rikku, and Gippal ran out after her, questions on all their lips. "What is it Yunie?" "Did you see something, Yuna?" "WHAT?" Yuna's outstretched arm pointed towards a blank ice wall across a blank stretch of tundra. All three blondes sighed and turned to go. 'Wait! I saw something move! I swear!" Yuna cried, dragging Rikku back to where she stood. Rikku sighed, a tired expression on her face. "Yunie, it was prolly the wind playing tricks on you. Come on." The small blonde trudged back to the cave and the waiting Gippal.  
  
Tidus stood there next to her, his eyes on whatever she had seen. They stood there for a minute in silent communication. "What did it look like, Yuna?" He asked gently, his intense eyes still fixed in the distance. Yuna, who had been studying the right side of his face intently, blushed and stammered. "U-uh, well, it sorta looked like a Ronso, only shorter and white." Tidus nodded, a seriousness about him that Yuna hadn't seen since they were reunited. "Maybe it was whatever Gankee's searching for." He whispered. Yuna nodded, adopting the same serious air. "Yeah, but we'd better forget about tracking it tonight. We'll try again tomorrow from the Celsius." Yuna said. Suddenly, Tidus snapped out of his serious trance and scooped up a bunch of the freshly fallen snow. Yuna, catching on, followed suit, hurling her snowball before Tidus could even think about tossing his. "Hey!" He cried, spitting out a mouthful of snow. Yuna giggled and ran towards the cave, Tidus laughing and chasing her all the way.  
  
On the flip/morbid side of life from this cheery little Gullwing-fun, our young Kohlso friend had just reached the inner sanctum of the den. His echoing footsteps had summoned a group of elder hunters who were expecting a kill, but saw an exhausted young Kohlso carrying a limp, bleeding human. A growling mumur soon spread through the whole village that another human had been brought in, this one inured morbidly. The murmur rose in a crescendo until Lorelei, in her private chamber, heard it above the excited conversation of her human friends. "Hush!" Barked the Elder Kohlso. Immediately Maea shut her mouth and placed a finger on her lips. Auron and Gankee silenced themselves and listened to noises steadily growing louder in the main village. Lorelei slowly got to her feet, sighing heavily under the weight of age.   
  
"What is it?" Gankee whispered to his mother who fluently spoke the Kohlso tongue. Maea swiftly stood, concern etched on her delicate features. "A human girl has been found by one of the hunters. She is badly hurt." Lorelei nodded at Maea's explanation, her stern features telling the Al Bhed woman what to do. She nodded and turned to her newly found family. "Auron, Gankee, please wait here while I attend to the girl." She turned as if to leave, but Auron was to the exit flap first. His instincts told him something wasn't right and Maea knew better than to question him. Gankee, torn between his own instincts and his mother's orders, scurried after them. Lorelei led the way to the main cavern where the murmuring crowd had gathered once more. This time they were more controlled and cautious, a paranoid expression on each beast-like face. Gankee scanned the crowd for the human girl. He was concerned that a human would be out in the wilds of Macalania at this time of year. During his conversation with Lorelei earlier, he had discovered that he and Auron had arrived just in time. That morning had been the start of a long string of vicious winter storms that would not relent until mid-spring.   
  
Brows furrowed identically to his father's, Gankee followed his mother and the Kohlso chief to a large teepee near the now roaring bonfire at the center of the village. Two tall hunters held the flap door to the teepee open while the chief and humans hurried in. Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim firelight within, Gankee paused just inside the teepee. As soon as he could see, his eyes found the human girl lying on a pile of skins, blood was everywhere. Gasping, Gankee rushed over to the human's side. Auron and Maea stepped up behind him as he knelt beside the make-shift bed. "Paine!" He cried, studying her drawn face and broken body carefully. Lorelei spoke a low, gruff word to a young looking Kohlso who pulled Gankee back. He struggled futilely against the strong Kohlso. "But I know her! She's friends with Rikku and High Summoner Yuna! Dad!" Gankee cried pleadingly to his father who nodded.  
  
'Yes. She isn't a threat. Release the boy." The Kohlso released Gankee, but still held him back with his arm while Maea worked on Paine. After the frail Al Bhed woman ran the intial check-up, she turned to Auron and Gankee who were waiting patiently. Her eyes were sad. "I'm afraid she's beyond our help now. She's suffered massive head and spinal cord injuries. Most likely sustained from the impact of a long fall. Even if she hadn't lost so much blood she would never walk again." A somber silence hung in the air following this forboding of doom. Lorelei nodded, her eyes suddenly sad as well. "Prepare a pyre." She said to the young hunter who had carried Paine all the way the to den. He nodded and left the teepee. Gankee shook himself out of the shocked stupor he had slipped into. "Wait, there has to be a way to save her. Why not use magic?" He stepped towards the bed where Paine lay, his hands up and ready to cast. Maea nervously glanced first at Lorelei and then at Auron, who seemed curious as to what the Kohlso would do to a magic user.   
  
Plainly, Gankee knew less about the Kohlso than he thought otherwise he would've known that none of the white northerners used magic. Actually, it was strictly forbidden seeing as it was magic-using Yevonites that exiled the first Kohlso to Macalania in the first place. The two guard Kohlos pulled their spears from out of nowhere, leveling them at Gankee with a growl. Lorelei's face went from regretful to outraged in mere seconds. She shouted something in Kohlso and Maea screamed, flinging herself in between her son and the girl on the bed. "Gankee! No!" She cried, tears shimmering in her eyes. Auron stepped up to defend his son from the two Kohlso who seemed prepared to drag the boy off to some dank ice dungeon somewhere. "Please, Lorelei, please." Maea pleaded, wringing her hands anguishedly. Gankee, who looked confused and lost, stood there with his hands still spell-ready. Lorelei closed her eyes and left the teepee, the Kohlso guards following at her command. "Keep him here until I return." Maea whispered hurriedly to Auron before hugging the red garbed man and hurrying after the Elder.  
  
Gankee whirled on his father, his questions asked before he spoke. Auron sat next to the small fire pit and closed his good eye. "The Kohlso naturally fear and hate magic and its users, Gankee. When you suggested using magic, they were outraged and terrified. We might have a hard time convincing them you're not a Yevon spy sent to ruin their society again." The long haired boy glanced worriedly at Paine's bleeding form. "But, father, we have to save Paine. We have to!" His mismatched eyes pleaded with Auron who folded like a good father should. Standing with a grunt, Auron tracked down some bandages and he took care of Paine's less serious wounds. Her cries and groans made the naturally soft-hearted Gankee flinch, but he helped anyway. He caught onto his father's plan to make it seem like they had saved her life using only herbs and cloths. But, as soon as they had taken care of the minor wounds, Auron nodded to his son. They both cast high level curative magic until most of the blood and bruises were gone.  
  
The color returned to Paine's cheeks and her breathing returned to normal. Drained from the sudden rush of a LOT of magical usage, Gankee's legs gave out on him and he collapsed next to the bed. Auron chuckled and helped him up, handing him an Ether before glancing outside the teepee. With a hand motion to act natural, Auron stepped backwards just as Lorelei and a worried looking Maea returned. They didn't bring the angry Kohlso guards with them so things looked good. When the two females entered, they both saw the decidedly heathiler looking Paine, the bowls of hot water, and smelt the scent of medicinal herbs and gasped. Maea rushed over to Auron who smiled and explained that he and his son knew more about first aid than they let on. Lorelei cast a critical eye over the girl before nodding. "Good then. No magics." She barked low enough for only Gankee to hear. He nodded and smiled a little. The old Elder was more kindly than she seemed. He knew she could tell they used magic, but she had decided a life with magic was better than a death without it.   
  
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AN: yes, yes, i know! i shifted POV so many times it was almost confusing, but i had to show all aspects of what was going on since they were all seperated. i hope we all see where the story is headed. questions? comments? ANYTHING??? THEN REVIEW!!!~~~sa~~~ 


	12. Souls Alike

HELLO!!! sorry i haven't updated in FOREVER!!! i've been uber busy. but, i had a snow day today so i had LOTS of time to work on this chappie for you all. it kinda moves fast and is a little short, but i needed to develop this, uh, thing....*grins* read to find out more! R&R PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.12: Souls Alike  
  
Later that night, Lorelei had Paine moved to the humans' quarters in her private cavern. Auron, Maea, and Gankee were to share one large cave near the Elder's teepee. Paine was moved there with a lot of warm fur blankets and fluffy feather pillows. Gankee, being the concerned, sweetheart that he was, stayed with the sleeping girl while his parents went to join in the feast in honor of them. The distant echo of drum beats and singing reached him and he smiled a little. He was sitting next to Paine's bed going through the stack of stone tablets the Kohlso used a history of sorts. He had just had the lovely experience of bathing in a secluded hot spring and was all warm and stuff. His hair, still wet, hung loosely around his shoulders free of its usual ponytail. Gankee had still been in the process of getting dressed when Auron barged in and dropped off the tablets before leaving with a smirk. And so, shirtless Gankee attempted to read as much of the history of the Kohlso as he could. The chamber was silent but for the crackle of the flames in the fire pit.  
  
Paine gasped suddenly, sitting up and staring ahead of her raptly. Her eyes were glazed over, her breathing loud and raspy. Gankee dropped the tablets and went to her side, gripping her hand tightly. "Paine? What is it?" Paine gasped a heaving breath in, her eyes slowly moving to his face. Her usually uniquely styled hair was lying flat on her head giving her a bedraggled look. She looked like a scared little girl. Gankee gently gripped her hand, trying to get her to react to his presence. "Paine? Paine!" He cried, his voice louder than the distant echoes of drums and song. As if a trance had been broken, she shook her head, shoulders sagging a little. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked him straight in the mismatched eyes. Paine was vainly trying to retain an air of superiority over Gankee who had a concerned look on his chisled features.  
  
"Gankee?" She choked, her throat dry and her voice hoarse. He leaned closer to hear her raspy voice a little better. Their faces were mere inches apart and Paine almost faint again. She had never really noticed how amazingly hot Gankee was until that moment. He didn't have a shirt on and his hair was wet and loose. Something about the concerned way he was staring at her made her want to melt. Mentally smacking herself, Paine snapped back into reality. Fixing a stony glare on her face, she addressed the willing-to-serve Gankee coldly. "Where the hell are we?" Gankee, catching the sharp edge of her words like an unsheathed blade, flinched. He had expected some word of thanks or even a nicer way to go about asking that. Sighing, he studied her face carefully, noticing a hint of a blush on her cheeks. She was staring at their clasped hands with a sort of shocked/disgusted look on her face. Gasping, he dropped her hand quickly. He stood up and walked to the fire pit, gathering the fixings for tea.  
  
Paine watched him move around, waiting impatiently for an answer. The last thing she remembered was stepping to the edge of the Celsius and the glorious feeling of falling. The thought that everything was going to end made her feel euphoric, to say the least. Now, all she felt was sore and like someone had shoved seven pounds of salt into her mouth. Touching her bandaged arm tenderly, she flinched at the thought of one of the others finding out what she had been trying to do. She imagined what Yuna would say and how Rikku would faint. Smirking, Paine wished that Gankee hadn't rescued her just to make her friends flip out. They most likely thought she was safely scowling on the airship while they trundled through the snow and ice. How wrong they were. From what she could see, they were in some kind of cave deep within the earth, judging by the dampness of most of the rock. The distant echo of water dripping from a cave ceiling proved her theory right. They were underground.  
  
Gankee finished bustling around and left the kettle on the fire to boil. He came back to her bed and knelt beside it, staring into her blood red eyes meaningfully. 'What the hell? What is this guy trying to pull?' She thought, rippling indignantly. Paine wasn't one to take a cheeky guy like seriously. Raising an eyebrow, Paine used her hand to gesture him onward. "So, where are we again? I missed your answer before, genius." Gankee nodded as if he had expected that response from her. Closing his mismatched eyes, he missed the crude gesture Paine made at his superior tone of voice. "We're in the caves of the Kohlso people in Macalania. From my calculation's, I'd say we're about 2,000 miles from the temple and roughly 800 feet underground. The rest of the Kohlsos are celebrating my parents' reunion in the main cave. We are far enough away from there that we can talk in peace without their singing and such getting too loud." He smiled innocently like he wasn't thinking about anything else but an intelligent conversation.  
  
Digesting each bit of information slowly, Paine's head filled with questions. 'Wait, you found your parents? Where were they? The others are out looking for right now! Why are we still here?" After shouting all of this as one thought, she attempted to get out of the bed. As soon as she put wait on her still healing legs, she fell forward. She expected to hit the cave floor with a thud, but instead, she felt Gankee's arms encircle her and pull her up. He had caught her just in time and was still holding onto her as if he was afraid she'd fall again. His arms were wrapped around her waist tightly, holding her up. Blushing furiously at the sudden flutter in her heart, Paine shoved away from him and fell back onto her back. Gankee gave her a hurt look, and knelt next to her again. That damn innocent expression was killing her! Like he didn't know what he was doing! He was trying to seduce her and it wasn't working. Or was it? Paine almost slapped herself at the mere thought of Gankee more naked than he already was. Shaking her head, she glared at him again.  
  
"So? Are you going to answer my question or am I going to have to hurt you?" Her voice had regained its smooth, low sound. Gankee smiled a little, his eyes twinkling. "I doubt you could hurt me as you are currently, anyway, but I will answer your questions." Paine scoffed and wished her legs were strong enough to support her. All she wanted to do was stangle him at that point. He sat there waiting for her to stop shaking with rage, a concerned crease in his brow. She impatiently motioned him onwards. "A Kohlso hunter found your mangled body somewhere pretty far from the den. He carried you back here and my father and I healed you, much to the dismay of the Kohlso. I-" "WHAT?" Paine cried, misunderstanding his comment about the Kohlso. Gankee, suddenly flustered at her ignorance (AN: Eventhough he was ignorant until Auron explained it to him...), crossed his arms huffily. "They don't allow magic here and we used magic to heal you." Paine, growling under her breath, narrowed her eyes at him. He narrowed his eyes and a crackle of tension stretched between them.  
  
"No need to be such a frickin' know-it-all, genius." She spat venomously, shifting her legs as if to get out of the bed again. "No need to be so stubborn and stupid, idiot!" Gankee spat back, reaching out and placing a restraining hand on her moving legs. Paine glared at his hand and grabbed it with both of hers. From the point of view of someone just getting into the cave, one would see Gankee leaning over Paine with his hand on her upper thigh and Paine's hands clasping his tightly. Quite the suggestive stance, out of context. That's just what Auron and Maea saw as they came in from the feast. Both froze, shocked and a little embarassed that they had walked in on their son and his apparant girlfriend. "No wonder he was so eager to stay here alone with her." Auron whispered to Maea who blushed furiously.  
  
Both teens stopped glaring at each other long enough to glance at the adults, back at each other, and down where their hands met. Both snatched away their hands faster than lightining. "Father, mother, its not what you think." Gankee cried, hurrying over to talk to his parents. Paine, blinking in realization that Auron was his father, laid back on the pillows. Now she'd have to deal with more stubborn men, great. 'Well, at least his mother's an Al Bhed woman. We should get along well enough.' Paine closed her eyes and thought distantly of Rikku and Yuna. She wondered how they were doing, wandering out there in the icy coldness. She wanted to tell them they could stop looking, that she had found Gankee and Auron. Then she remembered that she had tried to kill herself and rolled onto her side thoughtfully. She wished that stupid Kohlso hadn't rescued her. It would've made everything a lot simpler. Just end it all. Escape. Freedom.  
  
While Paine daydreamed of a morbid death, Gankee argued with his parents in hushed voices. "What? You could your own room? And I have to stay in here with her all night?" Maea was silent and Auron slid his arm around his lover's waist lovingly. He gruffly answered his son. "Your mother and I haven't seen each other in over ten years. We have a lot of catching up to do, son." Gankee wanted to throw up everything he'd ever eaten. The least his father could've done was be a LITTLE less obvious about what they were going to go do in their private cave. Maea looked up at her son gently. "I'm sure the two of you will be just fine." Gankee shook his head, gesturing over his shoulder angrily. "She is stubborn, hot-tempered, and extremely ignorant! I can't bear another second with her!" Auron reached out with his free hand and ruffled his hair affectionately. "You'll be fine. You speant a lot of time with ignorant people growing up; I'm sure this one isn't so bad." Maea giggled a little and chimed into Auron's gentle teasing. "You two seemed to get along fine until we came in." Gankee's mismatched eyes widened and he opened his mouth to answer, but decided against it. He turned away. "Good night then," He spat, listening to his parents whipser and leave.  
  
Growling he glared at the apparently sleeping figure in the bed. He was about to set his own sleeping area up all the way across the room when he noticed the oddness of the sleeping person in the bed. It was lumpy and irregular instead of curvy and graceful like Paine. Gankee suddenly realized what she had done and rushed to the bed. He ripped the covers off and almost went into a panic attack. Paine was gone and all that was there were her two pillows under the blankets. The oldest trick in the book and he had fallen for it. Rubbing his eyes to ward his massive headache away, he tried to think about the passages out of that one cave. Other than the one he and his parents had been talking near, the only other corridor led into the hotsprings. Nodding, Gankee grabbed his shirt, pulled it on, grabbed his glaive, and hurried down the passageway, praying she hadn't gotten too far. The fiends in those caves were vicious and she was far too weak to handle anything more than a teddy bear.   
  
Paine pushed herself as far as possibly, desperate to find a way out of those caves, that place, her life. Anything would do, a hungry fiend or a conviently placed bottomless pit. Her legs screamed at her and some of her wounds were bleeding through the bandages. Paine couldn't have cared less as she rounded a sharp corner and stumbled into the hot springs area. Bubbling pools of clear, hot water populated the overwise empty cavern. The harsh smells of sulfur and steam dulled her senses as she dragged her suddenly dead feet across the cavern. Paine was almost to the opening at the other end of the cavern when she heard the snarl of a pack of fiends. They looked like Arctic Wolves, but bigger and meaner. Wondering why they looked so fierce, Paine stumbled back. She knew she was too weak to fight and cursed her stupid numb legs. Seeing this as a possible way to escape her downward spiralling life, Paine stumbled back towards the wolves. They snarled and one jumped up, ready to tear her to pieces. Closing her eyes, Paine spread her arms and welcomed the beasts to feast on her flesh.  
  
Just as she heard the wolves leap at her, a whooshing noise filled her ears. Then she heard the harsh cries of the wolves dying. Then she heard their pyreflies escaping into the air. Opening her eyes, she spotted Gankee's glaive stuck in the dissolving carcass of the largest wolf. Sighing dejectedly, Paine let her bleeding arms fall back to her sides. Gankee's heavy footsteps echoed and his voice called out to her. She shook her head and fought the tears. All she wanted was to die, that was it. Why was that so hard to accomplish? "Paine! PAINE!" Gankee screamed as he neared her. She turned and faced him, blood leaking through all of her bandages now and her pale face even paler. Her eyes were vacant and glazed. "Paine...?" He breathed, slowing down to a walk when he was close enough to her that he could gently shake her shoulder. Not even blinking, she fell forward, into his waiting arms. At first, Gankee thought she had passed out, but then she started shaking with sobs.  
  
Looking down at the top of her head, Gankee wanted desperately to make her stop crying. Whatever it took, he wanted to see her happy and smiling. He knew what she was feeling, however different it was from his own heartache in life. She was lonely and he could tell. He was, too, even though he had found his family and should be happily on his way. Something was missing in his heart. A void where there should be something bright and glowing. Stroking her hair lovingly, Gankee sunk to his knees, taking Paine's sobbing form with him. Her bleeding arms were shaking as she leaned back to look him in the eyes. Tears steamed down her pale cheeks and she looked so cold and lost. They locked eyes and in an instant, knew that the other knew exactly what the other was feeling. It was an immediate connection and both felt the sort of bond stretch between them. Paine stopped sobbing, the last of her tears dripping onto her knees. Gankee smiled softly, reaching out to wipe the tears away. Paine would've scoffed any other time, but his hand felt so good on her cheek for some reason.   
  
Sighing, she grabbing his hand with hers and held it onto her cheek, her eyes saying more than she could. Gankee pulled her closer, gently as to not hurt her anymore. Paine released his hand which slid to her waist. She leaned closer to him, inviting him to kiss her. She studied his face with a tenderness she rarely showed anyone. He was so kind and gentle and sensitive to everything. He was everything she wasn't and they balanced each other out. Eventhough they had only met less than a week prior, they both felt like they had known each other all their lives. Soul mates. Souls alike. Overcome by this realization that she was no longer alone, Paine's eyes refilled with tears. She smiled when she saw that Gankee was about to cry, too. Before either could start sobbing, Paine kissed him passionately. Smiling a little, Gankee pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Paine snaked her arms around his neck and one of the hot springs near them hissed with steam, hiding them from the harsh world they wanted to escape.   
  
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AN: so??? what'd ya think? either one too OOC? i hope not cuz they are all very multi-faceted characters that need relationships. i hope the GankeeXPaine pairing doesn't make anyone gasp. i wanted to make their relationship sorta passionate and deep, a little spur of the moment. fun! *grins* review for another chappie!!! i mean it this time!!! thanks to my faithful reviewers, but KEEP THEM COMING PEOPLE!!! ~~~sa~~~ 


	13. Best Birthday Ever!

WEEEE!!! i LOVE this chappie! its a long one, but its worth every page! I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!!! ITS SOOOOO COOL!!!! all your mind boggling questions are answered and Tidus brings a new question to the table. read to find out more. PLEASE REVIEW!!! ~~~sa~~~  
  
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Ch.13 Best Birthday Ever!  
  
Yuna sighed heavily, scanning the lifeless plains below her with a hopeless air. This had been going on for hours and they had found nothing. After she, Tidus, Rikku, and Gippal had gotten back onto the airship the previous night, they had set up a watch on the plains. Her watch just happened to be the dawn shift and she was exhuasted. But, she had been inspired when they had found out that Paine had gone missing, too. The others had all had their own reactions, but Yunie was the only one to devote the whole night to looking for her. She had a bad feeling that Paine was alone and cold out there. In pain, possibly; physical or mental. Paine had always been one to keep her tragedies to herself and Yuna felt that this was one of those instances. She had seemed a little too adamant about not going to look for Gankee and Auron the day before. Yuna sensed hurt in her deep red eyes before she had slammed the door on them.  
  
Rubbing her strained eyes, she leaned away from the screen usually used by Rikku to look for things below them. She was so tired her eyes drooped under the weight of oncoming sleep sneaking into her. Brother and Buddy were both asleep in the cabin as were all the others so was all alone on the bridge. Standing up in a sudden urge to make noise, Yuna cleared her throat loudly. Switching over to Songstress, she felt the music sweep through her, overcoming her exhaustion with an overwhelming need to sing. Immediately, she belted out the first line of 1,000 Words confidently. She heard something different about her voice, though. She didn't felt the deep, soulful melody that Lenne had always lent her when she sang. Stopping for a moment, Yuna placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes, feeling for any hint of Lenne within her at all. After Lenne and Shuyin had escaped to the Farplane together after the defeat of Vegnagun, Yuna had never even thought of becoming a Songstress. Sighing sadly, she changed back to Gunner and walked to the elevator.  
  
No use singing if her voice was weak and warby with lack of sleep. She had to go wake Gippal up, anyway, it was his turn to watch. The sun was peeking up around the thick snow clouds that inhabited Macalania's skies the most part of the year. Yawning, Yuna directed the lift to the cabin. She leaned against the railing and closed her eyes, humming a tune lazily. When the lift stopped she heard Tidus' voice speaking above the others' drone in the cabin. "We have to do something for her, you guys! Its her birthday!" Yuna opened her eyes and stopped humming. It WAS her birthday! Whoa! She had totally forgotten her own birthday in her need to find her missing friends and to save the world again. She had had no clue. She was turning 20. Rikku's tired voice chimed in with Tidus' ever-perky one. "Yeah! We should throw Yunie a surprise party! Weee!" Yuna smiled, picturing what Rikku would be doing right about then. Most likely dancing around and clapping. Gippal's chuckle proved her theory right. "She really does deserve something like that, but do you think we have time? With finding Paine, Auron, and Gankee," he spat the name venomously, "on top of saving the world again, we hardly have time to breath."  
  
There was a pause. Yuna kinda sorta felt bad for listening to their plans for her party, but she didn't feel like being all alone in the cabin either. Suddenly, the slightly pissed voice of Brother broke the thoughtful silence that had descended. "WOULD YOU BE QUIET? I HAVE TO HAVE MY BEAUTY SLEEP!" He yelled in Al Bhed. Rikku squealed back in the same language. "Shut up, loser! We have to plan this before Yunie comes to get Gippal!" Yuna figured that was her cue. Pushing away from the railing and striding confidently towards the door, she yawned and stretched as she entered. "Good morning, everyone. Gippal, its your turn." She almost laughed at their shocked expressions, but didn't move until Gippal nodded and moved past her hurriedly. "Good luck!" She called after him, sort of sarcastically. Tidus signalled Rikku to be quiet and hugged Yuna tightly. "You should get some sleep." He purred in her ear. She snuggled against his warmth and nodded. Rikku chuckled and skipped around them to head off to the bridge. Yuna kissed Tidus quickly before slinking up the stairs and into bed.  
  
Tidus waited until he heard her quiet snores before he turned and hurried from the cabin. He had to figure out a way to surprise the heck out of her before anything else happened. 'Maybe, we could all pretend like we forgot her birthday and then, somehow, throw a party for her at the end of the day.' He thought as he stood on the elevator. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, desperate for good ideas. Paine was the plotter on the airship. He could just...Wait, she wasn't on the ship anymore. Darn it! Tidus punched the railing angrily. He missed Paine suddenly with her crude comments and harsh sarcasm. She always made him laugh, even when she was making fun of him. Smiling a little, Tidus stepped off the lift with the thought to help Gippal watch for any movement at all. He spotted Gippal at his own desk while Rikku was at hers. Techno music was pumping through the speakers and both Al Bhed were bouncing with the beat. Tidus leapt over the railing and whooped loudly. He loved techno music. Gippal looked over his shoulder with a laugh. "Yeah, you go boy!" Rikku cried from her seat near the front of the ship.   
  
Tidus spun around and did a little dance before back flipping over to Buddy's seat. "Can I use this to scan the ground, you guys?" He asked, staring at the complicated screen slightly bewilderedly. Gippal was there in a second, typing around Tidus until the Viewfinder program popped up. "There ya go! Have fun!" The tall Al Bhed said before shimmying back to his console. Tidus stared at the blank tundra below them with an equally lifeless look on his face. How the hell was he supposed to see anything out there? Nothing moved at all. Not even fiends, and that was odd. He thought of their encounter with that massive mutant fiend in the caves at Gagazet. He could've sworn he had seen Seymour when the pyreflies cleared, but Yuna wouldn't comment. Tidus hoped to all that was scared she wasn't trying to pull another "I'm strong enough to handle this on my own" again. He knew where that had gotten her two years ago. Married. Shuddering, he turned his focus back to scanning the ground for movement.  
  
Suddenly, he spotted something that look red on the ground. Yelping, he jumped up. "Stop the ship! I saw something!" Rikku leapt into Brother's pilot seat and brought the airship down slowly. Gippal hurried over to Tidus' screen and froze the frame on the reddish smear on the ground. Right away, Tidus had thought it was Auron, but now it looked like blood. Rikku squealed happily. "I actually landed it! Whoo hoo!" Both blonde guys looked over at her exasperatedly. "You mean, you didn't actually know how to land it?" Tidus asked, a nervous squeak in his voice. Gippal shook his head when the perky girl nodded. Sighing, Tidus stood up. "Let's check it out." He cried, pumped his arm in his usual manner. Rikku skipped towards the lift, singing something about getting Yunie. Both guys traded looks and ran to beat Rikku to the elevator. "No no no! We're going without Yuna. She needs to sleep." Tidus chided his shorter friend. Gippal nodded, smirking at his girlfriend's pouty response as he directed the lift to the engine room.  
  
"Yeah, we need to plan her party anyway." The lanky Al Bhed said in his native language before messing up Rikku's hair affectionately. Rikku pouted and fixed her hair silently. Tidus thought worriedly about the red smear they were going to investigate. He knew fiends didn't leave blood behind when they died, so it couldn't just be a fiend. It could be a human though and the only humans he knew of that were up in the wilds were Auron, Gankee, and Paine. Gippal seemed to share the worried sentiment because he grabbed Rikku around the waist and carried her to the door leading outside. She giggled and squirmed, but didn't really fight it. Tidus smiled and followed, happy that he had had something to do with their happiness currently. He, Yuna, and Paine; it was Paine's idea. Frowning suddenly, he got a bad feeling that that bloody smear was Paine out there. Pushing past the flirty couple, he hurried to the edge of the smear.  
  
He knelt next to it and examined it closely. Gippal and Rikku joined him, sobered by his serious expression. "It looks like something fell here, judging by the, uh, splatter marks." Gippal said shakily, indicating the splattery nature of the outside edge of the smear. Rikku whimpered and hid her eyes behind Gippal's shoulder. She seemed to be thinking the same thing Tidus was. "These look like finger prints." Tidus muttered, pointing to two identical finger wipes on either side of the oddly human shaped blood mark. It looked old, at least a day old. Rikku made a gagging noise and hurried away from the carnage. She stood still a few feet away, gasping in deep breaths. Tidus stood, a deathly serious look on his face. Gippal followed suit, wringing his gloved hands in an attempt to banish the fear creeping up through him. "If this is just the blood, where's the body it belongs to?" Tidus asked, his eyes scanning the area around them. Gippal nodded, doing the same with his uncovered eye. He silently wished he could've taken the eyepatch off to look and he was about to when Rikku yelped.  
  
Both guys ran to her side to see she was pointing at the ground and hopping a little. "Look! Look! LOOK! A footprint!" She cried, shoving some of the snow away from the print with her booted foot. Tidus thanked the wind for being calm that day because he had a feeling if it had been blowing the snow around, Rikku wouldn't have seen the print. Gippal crouched and studied it. "Its not a human print. It looks like a Ronso footprint." Rikku clapped, pointing to another print and another leading off in the distance. Gippal smacked Tidus' arm before taking off in the direction of the prints, following the already running Rikku. Tidus looked around suspiciously before running after his two Al Bhed companions. They seemed to think the prints lead them to Paine or whatever had taken Paine. Tidus was wondering why they thought it was Paine and how the blood-print had seemed to indicate a long fall. Shaking his head, he called out to the others. "Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Yuna woke up just as the airship landed, jolting her out of bed. That was NOT Brother landing the ship; he made nice, soft landings. Glancing to her right and left, her theory was proved because both Buddy and Brother were still sound asleep. Luckily, she was a light sleeper. Hurrying down the stairs she ran to the elevator only to wait there until her friends got off in the engine room. She leapt onto it and punched the button to the bridge, hoping to catch at least one of her blonde companions before they left. Yuna ran into the bridge, calling out to all of them. They were already gone, but the image of the red smear was on all the screens. Gasping and covering her mouth with her hands. "Blood..." She breathed, staring at the image with a horrified look on her face. She didn't know what to think; it could be anyone's blood. All of her friends were currently missing. Filled with a sudden panic, she whirled and ran to elevator, hurriedly jabbing the button to the engine room.  
  
She ran out into the cold morning of Macalania to spot the blood smear already deserted by her friends. Their footprints were fresh in the newly fallen snow, leading away. her eyes filled with tears of worry and fear, she jammed shaking fingers into her mouth, taking a deep breath. She let out a loud whistle that echoed over the cold breeze and reached her ears again, bouncing off the cliffs surrounding the airship. Yuna felt the hot tears pour down her cheeks and she bit her lip against sobbing out loud. She closed her eyes, picturing all kinds of horrible deaths of each person in turn, Tidus' being last and most horrible. Suddenly, another whistle rang out through the wind. It had sounded from the direction that the footprints disappeared in. Smiling and wiping her tears away, she took off running until she spotted Tidus standing there, fingers still in his mouth and ready to whistle. She threw her arms around him, savoring the feel of his body against hers. She had been so scared that he had gone away again.   
  
"We didn't want to wake you." He seemed to answer her thoughts. Yuna looked up, eyes glistening still. She smirked. 'Well, whoever landed the airship did a fine job of waking me up." Tidus chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Next time, leave a note or something, kay? I thought that...well, I thought bad things and I ever wanna be scared like that again." Tidus nodded and picked her up in his arms. She laughed as he took off running to catch up with the others. "What's the rush anyway? Find something in the blood?" Yuna asked over the whoosh of the air around them. Tidus' face fell from happily in love to seriously serious. He nodded. "We found footprints, Ronso-like ones, leading away from the blood. For some reason, we all think that blood was Paine's." Yuna bit her lip again. "Why?" She breathed. Tidus answered and set her down so they could run faster. "Instinct." Yuna nodded, clasped his hand, and they both took off, following the twin prints left by Rikku and Gippal.  
  
Paine and Gankee were still asleep in each other's arms when Auron found them near the hot springs. Apparently, that hadn't made it back to the cave last night and decided to sleep by the springs. Auron didn't seem at all surprised that his son and this girl were sleeping together, in the innocent sense of the phrase. He smiled almost proudly and leaned against the wall, waiting for them to wake up on their own. He waited there until Paine lazily sat up and stretched, shrugging Gankee's arm off her shoulders. She looked totally healed and healthy, quite the change from the bandaged and beaten girl she had been the day before. The red garbed grown-up spotted a pile of bloody bandages near the closest spring and guessed his son had also gone swimming with that girl. He also supposed that the water bubbling up from the ground had some kind of healing cabilities judging by how much better Paine looked.  
  
Before standing, she gently pushed some stray hair out of Gankee's face. A content smile slowly spread on Gankee's face before he rolled over and went back to dreaming. Paine stood and stretched again. She turned and spotted Auron standing just outside the swirling steam billowing from the springs. Deciding it was better to act calm and cool than freak out about being stalked by some creepy dead guy, Paine crossed her arms and addressed Auron slyly. "Good morning, Auron." That was all she could manage without her voice cracking from the nervousness. Auron had a piercing stare, even if only one of his eyes worked. It was sorta like Gippal, only not nice and carefree. Auron nodded in reply before pushing away from the wall and striding towards the black garbed girl. Paine silently wished she could disappear because the weird feeling he could read her mind kept penetrating her calm facade. "You look a lot better, Paine. Does the spring water have healing properties?" She nodded, her limp hair flopping in her face. She glared at the stray strands and wished for some gel. Auron chuckled as if he had read her mind.   
  
"The Kohlso may be able to help you with your hair. They aren't as primitive as they seem." Paine smirked, beginning to warm up to this guy. "Thanks for the tip. What are you doing up and about so early?" Auron shrugged with one shoulder, motioning to his sleeping child. "Just looking for the two elusive children that seem to like playing Hide-And-Go-Seek with us adults." Paine snorted laughingly. "Yeah, I kind of left the cave last night and Gankee came after me. He was worried I'd get killed..." She trailed off, unable to share with Auron the fact that she had actually wanted to die. Those fiends seemed like the best way out of her seemingly lonely life. But, she wasn't alone, not anymore. Paine glanced at Gankee and smiled, a weird fuzzy warmth spreading through her. Auron nodded, as if he understood totally. Gankee stirred as if he knew they were about to talk about him. He sat up and yawned loudly, scratching his head sleepily. He stood up and turned around preparing to shuffle back to the cave alone. His sleepy eyes widened when he spotted both Paine and Auron standing there.  
  
He blushed when he looked at Paine, as if something in his head was a little more dirty than he had hoped. Then he looked at his father and smiled shyly. "Hey, dad! What's up?" Auron smirked, preparing to tease his son mercilessly about his "adventures" with Paine when suddenly a loud cry echoed from the main cavern. It sounded as if something was wrong. All three humans locked eyes before running down the passageway back into their private cave. Maea burst in just as they did; she looked panicky and scared. Auron rushed to her, gently taking her arm. "What is it, Maea? What's happening?" He asked, a genteless to his usually gruff voice. Gankee hurried over, too, nodding a hesitant Paine over as well. Maea shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Humans! Unknown humans are within the confines of the outer caves. They're invading!" Paine felt a weird sensation of knowing, as if she knew who it was that sneaking down into the caverns. Gankee's eyes narrowed, he seemed pissed that more humans would be infiltrating. Before anyone could say anything else, Lorelei burst into the cave, an outraged expression on her face.  
  
She plowed Paine down onto the ground, snarling in her face. Paine didn't budge under the considerable weight and force of the older Kohlso. Gankee gave a cry and moved as if to pull the Elder off of her, but two sturdy Kohlso warriors popped out of nowhere and held him back. Another Kohlso restrained Auron while Maea sobbed into her hands. She had been trying to warn them to run when Auron had asked her what was wrong. Lorelei growled in the Kohlso tongue, apparently expecting Paine to know the language. Paine's fear dissolved suddenly when she noticed the pain in the Elder's eyes. This old Kohlso didn't know what to do in this situation but blame the humans who had led the others there. She closed her blood red eyes as if accepting the crushing weight of the Kohlso as punishment. Gankee struggled against the Kohlso that held him back. Maea sobbed loudly and Auron eyed his katana in the corner.   
  
Lorelei barked something at Maea, who hurried over and began translating what the Elder was saying to Al Bhed. 'She says its all your fault that the humans are invading. She says she will use you as hostages to get the other humans to leave. Then she wants you all to leave and never come back. Ever." The blonde woman choked the last word out and glanced at her lover and son longingly. Paine shook her head, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "I don't know where you got that notion, Elder, but had no idea that the humans would track me here. I hadn't wanted anyone to follow me at all. I wanted to die. That was my purpose for coming here. But, your hunter saved me and then Gankee and Auron healed my wounds. I just want you to know we don't the humans coming in at all. If we did, we didn't have them some in here. I don't even know where we are." Her strong voice was drowned out by the sound of hurried footsteps. A young Kohlso ran in and whispered something to Elder. Her blue eyes widened and she got off of Paine slowly. "He said the humans are led by the High Summoner, messenger of Yevon." She growled the last word like a curse. 'Yuna...' Paine thought happily.  
  
Paine stood up and brushed her shorts off, a little smile on her face. She looked at Gankee and Auron confidently. "Well, Elder, I just hope you know that this 'High Summoner' doesn't believe in Yevon, who was fake and she isn't even a summoner anymore. She's a Gullwing." Lorelei studied Paine's open face with her piercing eyes before turning to her warriors. They immediately dropped their holds on Gankee and Auron. She gruffly addressed Maea in her language before leaving with the other Kohlsos. Gankee rushed over to Paine and hugged her tightly. Not expecting a hug, Paine sucked in her breath sharply, but smiled and hugged him back. "You were great! So calm and collected! I would've buckled and started crying." Paine chuckled at his effusive praise. Auron tapped Gankee on the shoulder and he released her. "Your mother said we have to follow the Elder to meet Yuna and whoever's with her." With a smirk and a chuckle the guardian turned and hurried out of the cave.   
  
Paine grabbed her sword from its position next to where Auron's katana used to be and turned to see Gankee pulling his hair back. She grinned at him, feeling that warmth spread through her again. Gankee caught her starring and winked. She laughed and walked over to grab his hand. He wove his fingers through hers and they walked out to meet Yuna and the others.  
  
Yuna, Tidus, Rikku, and Gippal were surrounding by about twenty snarling white Ronsos with blue eyes and mean spears. Tidus reached for his sword, but Yuna stopped his hand. She shook her head, silently watching the group of warriors. Rikku, who was a little fed up with this whole thing already, huffed and crossed her arms. Gippal slid a comforting arm around her waist and hushed her before she could shout anything. "They aren't going to attack." Yuna whispered to Tidus who still looked ready for a fight. He nodded, knowing better than to second guess any woman. They waited in silence until they heard rushed footsteps approaching. The circle of white Ronsos parted and an elderly looking female hobbled towards them. Following her were two tall white beasts that hid whoever else was with them. Yuna guessed that the elderly female was the Elder and bowed to her when the white furred creature stopped walking.   
  
"Elder, we mean you and your clan no harm. We only wish to find our companions who have been missing for some time. We followed some footprints to these caves. We're very sorry if we have infringed any laws of the land." Yuna looked the Elder straight in the eyes the whole time she spoke, her diplomatic voice strong and clear. The Elder seemed to understand her and for that, Yuna was VERY glad. She spoke gruffly to the humans before her, introducing herself and the white Ronso around them. "I am Lorelei, Elder of the Kohlso clan. We are distant cousins of your Ronso clan. We accept your apology and will grant your request." Yuna blinked. 'Request? What request?' Tidus placed a hand on her shoulder as if to steady her for whatever the Kohlso had in store. Lorelei turned and the other Kohlso with her moved aside. Auron, an Al Bhed woman, Paine, and Gankee stood waiting behind them. Rikku squealed and ran to meet Paine, Yuna close behind. YRP shared a massive group hug in which Rikku started crying and the other two laughed.   
  
Auron smiled when Tidus walked over and patted his arm happily. He seemed too happy for words; Auron understood. Gippal walked towards the YRP group and met Gankee standing there. He glared at the black haired halfing bitterly, thinking that he was watching Rikku. Gankee smiled and pointed to Paine, then to himself. "Don't worry, Gippal. I'm not after your girl. I have my own." Gippal gaped, but said nothing. The hug-fest broke up and introductions were made between the Gullwings and Maea. Rikku was estacic that Gankee had found his parents and everyone wanted to hear about Auron being his father. They decided to stay the night with the Kohlso since they were already there and they had so much to talk about. They were all sitting in the Human Cave as the Kohlso called it, talking about Auron and Maea's relationship and Gankee's brother. Maea had been paying very close attention to Gippal throughout the conversation and she suddenly screamed and pointed to him. "You look just like Gankee!" She cried in Al Bhed, her eyes wide. Everyone stopped talking and looked at Gippal.  
  
He blushed and glared at the woman, wishing he could make her explode with his mind. "I do not! I look nothing like that insufferable half-breed!" Rikku was looking from Gankee to Gippal and her eyes widened. "Omigod! You DO!" Yuna nodded, a little offended by that half-breed comment. Tidus looked thoughtfully at Gippal's eye patch. "Hmm..."He murmured, formulating a plan. Paine, who was sitting in between Yuna and Gankee, looked over at Auron, who was studying Gippal with a new fasicination. Paine had never asked before, but she was beginning to suspect that there was nothing wrong with Gippal's covered eye. Maybe he was hiding an amber eye under there. She nudged Gankee who was staring at Gippal across the fire pit oddly. "I say we grab his eye patch and see what he's hiding." She whispered, her lips dangerously close to his ear. He shrugged, lost in thought. Sighing, Paine caught Tidus' eyes and they both stood up. Everyone was too busy discussing the similiarities between Gankee and Gippal to notice the two slip away.   
  
"So, what's the plan, Tidus?" Paine whispered, her hair newly geled into its usual style. Tidus looked thoughtful and then smirked. "About what? Yuna's party or Gippal's eye patch?" Paine chuckled. "Both!" The two gave each other five before sneaking off to the main fire pit to convince the cook there to bake a cake for them. They got three or four Kohlso to understand that it was Yuna's birthday and soon they had a cake, candles, and a beautiful blue and silver kimono for Yuna. Tidus was bubbling with joy when he gave the final instructions to the Kohlso cook. Paine was stashing the gift just outside the cave the others were in when he jogged back. "All set?" She whispered. He grinned, nodded, and pumped his fist in the air. "Ready to roll!" Paine rubbed her hands together and nodded. "Now to get Gippal to take that eye patch off..." Tidus muttered. Paine motioned a pincer attack with her hands and Tidus nodded. They slipped back into the cave where everyone had moved onto the topic of Gankee and Paine's relationship.   
  
He was blushing and kept looking around for an escape. Paine slunk over to him, kissed him passionately, winked at a whooping Rikku, and hurried around to the other side of Gippal. Tidus grabbed the tall blonde by the shoulders while Paine pulled the eyepatch off. Everyone leaned in, gasped, and then chaos ensued. Maea burst into tears and ran to hug Gippal while Auron smiled happily. He seemed a little overwhelmed and sat totally still. Tidus and Paine shared another high-five while Yuna and Rikku clapped. Gankee stood up and walked over to Gippal. The crimson faced, disoriented blonde stood up and looked his brother in the identically mismatched eyes. "Brother." Gankee whispered hugging him tightly. Gippal choked a little and then he smiled. He had finally found the family that he thought had deserted him. Now he knew why he had to be left with a strict Al Bhed family on Bikanel. His mother was being looked for by Yevon; he knew the feeling. Tightly hugging his brother, Gippal looked up to see his father stand and walk over. The twins turned to their father and Auron cleared his throat.   
  
"I just want to say how happy I am to have my whole family back together. I never thought I'd get the chance to see my sons together ever. After I died, I vowed to protect Tidus and Yuna, not even my sons. Now, I have the chance to protect you, too. My sons, Gankee and Kuron." Gippal smiled and formed his real name on his lips happily. "Kuron. Rikku!" He rushed over to the teary-eyed Rikku. "I'm Kuron! My real name is Kuron!" He seemed so happy he was about to burst. Rikku squealed and kissed him deeply. Tidus laughed and clapped while Yuna slipped her arms around his waist happily. He wrapped his arm around her, smile painted on his tan face. Gankee hugged his mom, his dad, and then Paine tightly. She kissed him gently, happiness beaming out through a rare toothy smile. Gankee grinned and kissed her again, much more roughly. Auron took Maea's hand and the two adults smiled at all the happy teen couples.  
  
When everyone gathered back around the fire to talk about a whole new set of amazing revelations, Tidus cleared his throat and whistled loudly. Yuna looked at him oddly, as if to say "Yeah, ok, I'm right here!". He grinned and winked and Paine who smiled, too. The Kohlso cook walked in carrying a huge, sloppy cake and a grin. Three roughly hewn candles sat on the cake, glowing happily. Rikku clapped and started the "Happy Birthday" song. The others all joined in and the Kohlso set the cake down in front of a grinning Yuna. She thanked the Kohlso who left quickly and came back in with the parcel. He handed it to Tidus who handed him his Jecht-symbol necklace as payment. Yuna saw this exchange and her eyes filled with tears. He loved that necklace! Rikku poked her and urged her to blow out the candles. "Come on, Yunie! Make a wish and blow 'em out!" Yuna nodded and closed her eyes. She wished that she and her friends could stay happy like this forever. Peace on Spira forever and all that. She opened her eyes and blew out the huge candles. Everyone clapped and hugged her, except Auron who seemed a little oddly withdrawn.  
  
Tidus cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. "Before we eat the first Kohlso cake ever, I have an announcement to make." He stood up and pulled Yuna up, too. She looked at him curiously and then at the packet he was holding. He grinned nervously and cleared his throat again. Even Paine looked a little lost and she was co-plotter with him. Tidus looked Yuna in the eyes and knew he was doing the right thing. "Yuna, I love you more than anything in the whole world. You're everything to me and I want you to have this." He handed her the package and she slowly unwrapped it, a slight smile on her lips. She shook the garment out and it shimmered like freshly fallen snow under starlight. Maea gasped, then she smiled widely. "That is the Kohlso ceremonial wedding dress, Yuna." Tidus blushed and nodded, looking at his feet. Rikku could hardly contain herself and Paine was grinning. Yuna stroked the gorgeous fabric and slowly looked up at Tidus. He smiled; were those tears in his eyes.   
  
Her own eyes overflowed with tears and she nodded, answering the unspoken question in Tidus' amazing eyes. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" She cried, throwing her arms around him, still holding the wedding dress. He kissed her happily and everyone clapped. Rikku started skipping around them, chanting about Yunie getting married. Paine wove her fingers through Gankee's and leaned her head against his shoulder. Gippal, well, Kuron had to grab Rikku by the waist and tickle her to make her stop skipping around the happy couple. Yuna pulled back from her intense kiss with Tidus and breathlessly asked him, "When?" He kissed her forehead excitedly. "Whenever you want." She was about to answer 'NOW!" but stopped herself. An odd seriousness fell over her face. "After we save Spira one more time. Then we can have a proper wedding." Rikku clapped and jumped up, hugging both love-birds at once. And so, all in all, frostbite and hypothermia aside, Yuna had the best birthday ever.  
  
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AN: SO SO SO??? WHADDYA THINK??? i loved writing this one because i got to reveal Gippal's secret, reunite all of Auron's family, AND make Tidus pop the question! who knows what i'll do next. you'll just have to review to find out! ~~~sa~~~ 


	14. The Origin

Whoo boy! Its been a LOOOOOOOONG time since I've updated! So sorry! Life's been pretty crazy recently. But, here's a long chappie to make up for it. And to all my faithful reviewers, I hope you continue to read this story, even if my updates become kinda few and far between. I love you all!   
  
p.s. if anyone catches any grammar/spelling errors, PLEASE include this in the reviews. i know i need to improve on these things. sweatdrops tee hee!  
  
Summoner Angel  
  
Ch.14: The Origin  
  
As Spira slowly collapsed in on itself and the Gullwings partied in Macalania, somewhere deep within the wreckage of what used to be the Farplane somewthing awoke. It was something as old as time, more ancient than any race on Spira. It had been disturbed by the sudden shift of power when the barrier between the living and the dead disappeared. It was drowsily shifting around among the ashes of Guadosalam, puzzling over what had happened. All it knew was that something was wrong; a key part of Spira's destiny had been destroyed. Where was Sin?  
  
No one really even knew what that being was. No one even saw it as it slid across the Moonflow calling pyerflies to its aid. It was weak and tired and formless, needing the pyreflies to gain its shape once more. Actually, the pyreflies needed it even to exist. A little known fact was that this swiftly moving whirl of light was the Origin of all things; the beginning and the end. Spira's creator. All things were created at the suddenly material hands and could be destroyed by those same hands. It had come now to track down the one things that had ruined its master plan for Spira. The dream that had put an end to the eternal Sin.  
  
That dream was currently dreaming on board the Celsius while it made its way to Bevelle. After getting distress signals from almost all of Spira, Yuna had suggested a meeting of world leaders at Bevelle, one of the last standing strongholds against the onslaught of never-ending fiends. Kuron/Gippal had contacted the new Machine Faction leader, Nooj was bringing Lucil and Elma along with the shaken remnants of the LeBlanc Syndicate, Issaru and Baralai were gathering the big heads of New Yevon, and even Kimahri was trekking down from Gagazet with his second-in-command. Gankee had tried to convince Lorelei to come with the Kohlsos, but she had seemed more stubbornly adamant than usual about not leaving the caves. It was almost as if she knew something he didn't. Maea also stayed with her fuzzy white companions, much to Auron's dismay.   
  
The red garbed guardian was currently brooding on the deck while the others either rushed around frantically or slept. Tidus fell steadily into the former category, snoring loudly while an angry Barkeep scrubbed the bar down. Tidus would've just kept on sleeping through the entire day if an odd nightmare about a shimmering woman dragging him into some dark water didn't wake him. He gasped loudly and sat up, blinking before leaping out of bed. He didn't want to think over-much about what the dream could mean because his dreams never meant anything good was going to happen.Yawning and stretching, he decided to go find Yuna, wherever she was, and headed for the elevator with a slight smile.   
  
Yuna was pacing around on the bridge while Rikku and Paine tried desperately to get her to sit down or something. She was making them nervous by being so nervous! The half Al Bhed brothers, Gankee and Kuron, were monitoring Spira through the CommSpheres and the full Al Bhed boys were silently going about their own duties. That was unusual seeing as they usually had something to say every moment of the day. Tidus strode in nonchalantly just as Brother announced their arrival in Bevelle. Paine rolled her eyes and muttered something about "stating the obvious" and Yuna hurried to the front of the airship. Her brow furrowed as she took in the horrible damage done to the city. Fiends had destroyed almost all of the residential areas, forcing the survivors behind a barrier of soldiers and magics. Rikku gasped loudly, the only one to even utter their reaction to the awful destruction.  
  
Instead of cheerfully tickle-attacking his bride-to-be, Tidus walked over and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. Kuron cleared his throat as he stood up. "Um, I just talked to Maroda through the CommSphere and he says they have everything pretty much under control. Gankee hurriedly explained how they had this situation under control. "They somehow mixed Shell, Protect, and Reflect spells with a powerful Nul-All spell to defend themselves against the fiends. Genius!" The dark haired son-of-Auron gushed this in one breath.  
  
Paine clucked her tongue and shook her head, arms already crossed over her chest. Rikku blinked, confused by his excitement. "Its just magic, duh!" She said, shaking her gold locks. "Ok, kids, this is where you get off." Brother announced almost angrily, glaring at Tidus with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He punched the button to open the door for them and sat back down, ready to leave. Rikku rushed over to talk to him in Al Bhed while everyone else followed a stern looking Yuna to the elevator. There was an air of somberness that couldn't be pierced by anything as they all piled onto the elevator. A frustrated looking Rikku jogged to catch up to them and then the lift whooshed down to the engine room. "I hate brothers! Geez!" Kuron and Gankee traded miffed expressions and Rikku fell into a brooding silence. Yuna looked as if she was going over a speech in her head, her brow furrowed in thought. Tidus, a little out of place suddenly, glanced at Paine who was watching Yuna too.   
  
She caught his eyes on her and shook her head as if to say, "Its no use even trying to calm Yuna down now. She's off on her own." Tidus knew that that was how Yuna dealt with stressful situations like this one. She did it on her own. He wanted her to stop doing that and start asking for help every now and again. They were engaged now and he thought a codependent relationship would be healthy. He was about to ask Yuna a serious relationship question when the lift halted. Yuna jumped a little, as if she was surprised that the ride was already over. She glanced at each of her closest friends in turn, attempted to smile, failed miserably, and turned to leave. Auron was already waiting for them on the Highbridge, his sword resting on his shoulder. Yuna stepped up next to him and the two of them regarded the heavily guarded inter-fortress for a moment. Rikku and Paine took their usual places on either side of Yuna. Kuron and Gankee looked over to Tidus who was trying to figure out exactly what this meeting was going to be about.  
  
Auron took the lead of the group, followed by the YRP girls and then their faithful boyfriends. The boys in the back were silent for a while as they walked down the long bridge towards the main defenses. Then, Kuron coughed a little and opened his mouth. He no longer wore the eyepatch and proudly displayed his filial connections through his eye color. "I think we should form our own little group, boys." His carefree, lilting voice said this in Al Bhed. Luckily, Tidus remembered enough Al Bhed to raise an eyebrow. This seemed like the weirdest time ever to bring up forming a club. Gankee seemed to echo his sentiments. "What're you talking about?" The dark haired twin asked his brother, puzzled. Kuron pointed to the three girls walking ahead of them in silence. "Ya know, like YRP. They've got this whole three muskateers-girl power thing goin' for 'em. I just figured maybe you guys would wanna form the boyfriend equivalent. Tidus smirked at the thought of the three of them prancing around the airship, posing a lot, and screaming, "TGK!" all the time.  
  
Gankee burst out laughing and the guffaws echoed in the chillingly still air. All three guys lost their happy smirks and Gankee blushed crimson when their female counterparts glared back at them. Apparently, it was 'Be-Quiet-And-Look-Pretty' time for the boys. Tidus sighed and studied some of the destruction around them as the other two guys fell into similar thoughtful states. Anything beyond the Highbridge on either side was complete ruins; deserted and charred and filled with roaming fiends. It looked like a scene out of a horror flick he had seen once in Zanarkand. Tidus tried to quell the feeling of deep depression raising out of his stomach when they reached the guardpost just outside the magical barrier. Gankee immediately ran towards the barrier and began examining it. Kuron watched with a half-interested, half-nonchalant look on his face. Rikku, Paine, Yuna, and Auron stood silently and waited for a guard to come let them through.  
  
Tidus looked up at the barrier with his mouth open as if he were a child in a candy store. The whole thing swept up and over the internal workings of Bevelle and it shimmered with every color imaginable. Rikku, who can't keep still very long, as poking the side of the barrier and watching the ripples travel along its considerable girth. Paine smacked her arm and told her sternly to stop. All this occured somehow far away from Tidus. He felt weird and out of place again, like he had on the lift or any time things picked up around him. His being gone two years hadn't effected Spira all that much, it seemed, since things just picked up where they left off when he got back. Maybe Auron felt this similar distance. Tidus looked over at his former mentor who was standing away from the group as well. This was an odd glint to his eye as Tidus approached him for questioning.  
  
"Uh, Auron?" The blonde blitzer ventured when he reached Auron's side. The older man shook himself out of some kind of trance and looked over, grunting. "Um, I was just wondering if you ever felt like you don't belong here, in Spira I mean. Like, maybe you and me are out of place, ya know?" Auron's keen gaze suddenly silenced the eager boy. The older guardian sighed heavily and shifted his weight as a guard finally took notice of them standing there. "Of course I feel out of place. I am dead. I don't belong with this living, vibrant creatures. You are entirely different, though. I don't know if you belong or not." With that vague statement, Auron fell into pace with Paine and Rikku who followed a stern looking Yuna. Tidus, his head filled with that last statement, looked down at his hand. It looked real, like Gankee's or Kuron's hands. It moved and worked like their hands did. He had a brief flash of that day that he had disappeared two years ago, when his hand had been see-through and disappeared.   
  
He shuddered suddenly and pulled himself back to the present, in which Gankee was staring at him with concern etched on his gentle features. Tidus looked away from the mismatched eyes of the gentle warrior before either of them could say anything. "What?" Tidus spat, rushing past to catch up with the others before the barrier closed again. Gankee quickly caught up with him. "I was just worried about you. You were just standing there, staring at your hand. It was kinda creepy." Tidus cast a sideways glance at the halfing who was looking at him as well. "I'm fine. Just..." The blonde dream was about to voice his ponderments about his existance. Then he seemed to realize that he was talking to someone he had known for less then two weeks. "Just what?" Ventured the dark haired son of Auron, his voice low and curious. "Just nothing, ok? I'm fine!" Tidus snapped and bolted to catch up to the retreating backs of his companions.  
  
As soon as Yuna and her companions entered, they were greeted by a really tan guy with white hair and a creepy, mechanical guy with funky brown hair. Tidus guessed they were Baralai and Nooj, the leaders of New Yevon and the Youth League. Tidus' bright blue eyes left the two men talking to Yuna to scan the room. Kimahri was supposed to be there and he wanted to talk to him before the meeting started. Gankee and Kuron hesitated; they had been on their way to talk to the Al Bhed of the Machine Faction when they spotted Tidus on his own again. Kuron motioned for Gankee to wait while he hurried back to their blonde friend. 'Hey, Tidus. Wanna go hang with the Al Bhed for a while? They're pretty cool guys, if I do say so myself." His voice was happy-go-lucky, but his eyes gave away his worry for Spira and his friend. Tidus shook his head, withdrawn from the world in general. "Nyah. I'm cool." Kuron shrugged and turned back to Gankee who also shrugged. Then they walked away.  
  
Rikku was talking to a girl who had been with Baralai and she was laughing at something the girl had said. Paine was discussing something with Nooj while Yuna talked to Baralai. A boisterous blonde woman appeared from one of the side chambers and spotted Tidus. Tidus groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was some wacko trying to hit on him, especially when he was in this odd bad mood. The woman was dressed in a weird dress that barely covered her, well, it barely covered her body. She was followed by two men dressed in blue, one tall and thin and the other short and stout. Tidus tried to fit this description of them with a name from the tale of Yuna's journey. Before he got the chance to, the woman was standing right in front of him, grinning hungrily. "Why, hello there, stranger. I don't believe we've been introduced yet. I'm LeBlanc, love. And you are?" Tidus almost burst out laughing when she introduced herself thus. He should've known this weirdo was LeBlanc from Yuna's tale.  
  
Either one of the men she had been talking to or she herself spotted Tidus' about to insult the overly proud LeBlanc because Yuna was suddenly standing next to Tidus. Nooj and Baralai were right behind her. "Oh, LeBlanc! I meant to get in contact with you to apologize for not making it to Guadosalam in time to save your home." Tidus stared at Yuna with a new respect. She was so sincere and diplomatic that she made him feel bad about the little lies he told every now and again. LeBlanc, who seemed disappointed that Yuna interrupted her, smiled fakely. "No problem, love. I understand the situation better now, isn't that right boys?" The men on either side of her nodded and loudly agreed. Tidus raised an eyebrow and looked at Yuna who shook her head slightly. Nooj stepped around the two lovers, eyeing Tidus oddly. Baralai joined him, speaking to Yuna. "Yuna, I don't believe you've introduced us to your friend here." Nooj nodded, a curious gleam in his eyes. Yuna looked flustered at herself. "How rude of me! Nooj, Baralai, LeBlanc, this is Tidus my..." She trailed off, looking at Tidus oddly.   
  
Tidus was about to snap the words "Husband-to-be" when he caught similar odd looks on the faces of the others standing there. "What?" He asked, glancing around himself with a nervousness he hadn't felt since his first blitzball game. A hush had fallen over the room suddenly, an odd, fearful hush. Rikku and Paine suddenly appeared next to Yuna, looking at Tidus with shock and fear on their faces. Kuron and Gankee could be seen trying to make their way through the crowd towards them. Auron was nowhere to be found. "What is everyone staring at?" Tidus shouted, looking furiously at Yuna who was covering her mouth with her hands, eyes full of tears. This caught an angry Tidus off-guard. 'Why is she crying?' He thought, looking down at himself. He gasped and yelled in anguish at what he saw.  
  
Pyreflies were streaming all around him, weaving in and out of him like he wasn't material. Like that day two years ago, on the airship after the defeat of Sin. His mind filled with confused thoughts and the need to hold Yuna again. Everyone seemed to be speaking at once and Yuna took a few steps toward him, eyes locked with his. Before anything else could happen, Auron's voice could be heard above the din of the chamber below him. He was on the lift that would've taken him up to the second floor if it hadn't been frozen by some odd force. He had his arms outstretched and he was speaking in some odd language. Everyone turned to him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Tidus panicked suddenly realizing he couldn't move at all. His eyes were locked on Yuna who was torn between listening to Auron and saving Tidus from his fate. It was odd, that feeling that stole over Tidus. He knew he wasn't going to disappear again. He didn't know how, he just did. The pyreflies swirled around him as Auron's voice raised in volume and intensity.  
  
Yuna cried out and was pushed away from him, as was the whole crowd. Mass chaos took over when people noticed the fiends breaking through the barrier and rushing towards them. As this was happening, Auron continued chanting in that weird language and the pyreflies continued swirling around around Tidus' frozen form. The shimmering beings moved faster and faster until the oddly calm Tidus could see nothing by the blur of color and light that was the pyreflies. He heard Yuna's cries for him and vaguely made out the voices of the others trying to reach him. But, above all this, he heard mainly Auron's insistent chanting as if he were standing right next to the red garbed man. Confusion edged around the rim of Tidus' fuzzy mind. He wondered why Auron was chanting and what connection between the chant and the pyreflies there was. The crescendo of chaos and panic outside his prison suddenly was silenced. The pyreflies moved in very close to him and everything went black.  
  
Yuna screamed suddenly, locked in fierce battle with a group of fiends that had made it past the barrier. She watched in horror as the pyreflies around Tidus rushed in towards the center of their circle where he stood. Pushing away from her foe she ran towards the pyreflies just as the whole thing disappeared. Tidus, the pyreflies, even Auron's chanting. Rikku and Paine rushed to her side, Paine fighting off the fiends as a Dark Knight and Rikku shaking her cousin. "Yunie! Come on! We gotta fight!" Yuna closed her eyes, biting her lip against the tears. She had just watched him disappear AGAIN. How much of this did the world think she could take? Familiar sensations of pain and anguish rushed through her and she collapsed to her knees. Rikku made an angry noise and whirled around to fight. She transformed into a Warrior and rushed at some fiends who were attacking the helpless Yevonites. Yuna knelt in the center of the mass chaos, screams and battle cries echoing in her head.   
  
Gankee and Kuron ran over to Rikku and Paine who had just finished off the last of the fiends. "We've gotta get all these people to safety, fast." Gankee yelled, pointing to the weakening barrier and the wall of fiends forming on its wavering surface beyond the doors of the temple. Kuron agreed readily, glancing at the dazed form of Yuna. "Uh, what happened?" He asked Rikku who shook her head and met his concerned gaze with her panicky one. "Tidus is gone!" The petite blonde cried, frantically clinging to Kuron. Her cries about the situation seemed to draw the attention of the world leaders still lingering about. Baralai, Nooj, a short Al Bhed man, LeBlanc, and Kimahri hurried over to them. Kimahri rushed over to Yuna and picked her up in his strong blue arms. Gankee gaped at this, but said nothing as Paine told the others what he had said about the fiends and the weakening barrier.   
  
It wasn't until much later, in the safety of the Celsius, did Yuna speak again. The world leaders were gathered on the bridge while the remaining civilians and soldiers of Bevelle occupied the cabin, engine, and deck. Buddy was rushing around, making sure everyone was safe and calm while Brother tried to be calm about flying the ship with far too many people in it. The serious murmur of the world leaders and Gankee reached the ears of Kuron who was busily working on a damage report of all Spira. The blonde halfing shrugged off their morbid talk and continued working. Rikku sat next to a devestated looking Yuna where Kimahri had left her. Paine stood leaning against the wall, eyes closed, arms folded. No one knew where Auron was. Or Tidus, for that matter.   
  
Just when the tone of panic in the murmur of conversation reached its peak, Yuna stood and shouted. "Everyone shut up!" They all whirled and looked at her, shocked that she was speaking again. Rikku stood up, too, placing a hand on her cousin's shaking shoulder. Concern was etched on her face and glimmered in her eyes. Paine's face displayed similar concern as she moved a little closer to Yuna and Rikku. "Yuna?" Voiced a concerned sounding Kimahri from his position near the cockpit area of the bridge. "Just shut up about this stupid crisis already! The world's gonna end, alright? There's nothing we can do! The fiends are desotroying everything and the Farplane is gone! The dead will destroy us all!" Rikku traded worried glances with Paine who shook her head and slapped Yuna, hard. The usually clam, diplomatic Yuna screeched and pointed at Paine with a crazed look on her face. "You're one of them, aren't you? You're here to kill me and use my body to spy on the rest of the living!"   
  
Everyone watched in horror as Yuna went on, pacing back and forth, spouting nonsense about the dead wiping out all existence because they had been bad that year. Her eyes had lost their usual gleam and were dull, insanity had her in its grips. No one knew what to do. Rikku burst into panicked tears and Paine tried to calm her down while attempting to stop Yuna. Gankee stepped into Yuna's path and cast a Stop spell on her. She froze and tipped over, falling to the ground, stiff as a board. A tense silence followed in which Everyone present calculated the chances they had at saving Spira if their shining star and guiding light was completely nutso. It looked grim. Kuron took the sobbing Rikku into his arms while Paine and Gankee quietly discussed what they could do with Yuna. Things were looking quite grim for the remaining humans living on Spira.  
  
Meanwhile, somewhere in the ruins of a long-forgotten temple in Macalania, Tidus awoke from that weird experience with the pyreflies. He found himself tied up to a wall, arms straight out to his sides while the rest of his body hung limply (AN: Think Jesus.) below him. The room he was in smelled of death and was completely dark. It was deathly cold, too. No light penetrated from anywhere and he had the horrible feeling he wasn't alone. Tidus thought briefly about the others, Yuna and the rest of the Gullwings. He wondered if they were allright, if they had made it through that whole thing okay. Then he remembered that weird situation with Auron's chanting. 'Auron!" He cried, voicing the feeling he had been unable to communicate earlier. As if his cry had summoned him, Auron stepped forth out of the darkness, pyreflies clinging to him and floating around him. His eye glowed with an odd inner light and he was smiling creepily.  
  
Tidus knew immediately that something was wrong with him. "A-Auron?" He choked, fearing the older man more than he had ever feared anything before. He got the feeling that it was all his doing that Tidus was here, strung up like that. Cold fear kept him speaking again when Auron's body stopped moving and the pyreflies spread out, illuminating the room they were in. Tidus stared in horror at the chamber walls around him. Skeletons hung from similar shackles all around the large room. Each one rested under a different symbol. Tidus craned his neck and attempted to see above his own head. Yeah, there was a symbol there, but he had no idea what it meant so that didn't help him. Actually, the way the room was designed, it seemed like Tidus' position was the final one. As if all these skeletons were paving the way to his own place at the end of the chamber.   
  
Auron's figure, previously motionless, suddenly stepped back and pointed at the ground in front of him. Tidus looked down as the pyreflies rushed down to light up the symbols on the ground. Each of the odd symbols above each of the dead bodies hanging from the walls was etched on the ground in a circle. The symbol above Tidus' was at the center with another, large, prominent symbol. Auron continued backing away, chuckling creepily until the pyreflies were the only company Tidus had. He was trying to make sense of this situation and was failing miserably. Had Auron joined up with evil and kidnapped him for a sacrifice? Had some baddie taken Auron over when he was being brought back? Had he ever been himself this whole time or some evil spirit? Was there a connection between this cold, dank chamber of death and the mutated fiends and the Farplane? Tidus shook his head, banishing the confusing thoughts in his mind. He needed to figure a way out of this situation that seemed to only end in death for him.   
  
He didn't want to wait around for whatever that big symbol next to his on the floor was to come and eat him. Whether or not Auron was actually involved in this, Tidus knew he had to get uninvolved. Pulling at his bindings, he quickly found that that was pointless. Staring at the ground below him and the lazily dancing pyreflies, Tidus felt a feeling of despair descend upon him. This situation looked completely impossible to him. He was chained to a stone wall with about twenty dead guys and some pyreflies. Great. Sounds like a party. Tidus shuddered when he thought about himself ending up like one of those skeletons. Then his mind shifted to Yuna and he focused on thoughts of her. He thought about their days together, before and after Sin. He was never happier than when he was with her and he wanted that happiness forever. That's why he had proposed; he wanted to be with Yuna forever. Suddenly, the need to escape and live and find Yuna rushed through him and he roared in fury.  
  
He focused all his energy on an Ultima spell. Tidus had an idea, however risky it was for him. It would most likely free him from his chains so he could find a way out of there. As he formed the Ultima, the pyreflies started freaking out. They all rushed together and made a swirling ball in the middle of the chamber. Tidus scoffed at the little creatures as he aimed and released the powerful spell. It whooshed above him and hit the wall with considerable force. The whole chamber shook and the wall holding Tidus crumbled slowly to the ground. Tidus braced himself and closed his eyes. He felt his arms come free from the destroyed wall, although the metal bands of the shackles still stayed there around his wrists. Pushing some of the larger pieces of rubble off of him, he jumped up triumphantly. Tidus shook himself and hurried in the direction Auron had been heading when he retreated from the room. He tried not to look at the dead guys lining the walls or the ball of pyreflies that was following him.  
  
In the weak light of the pyreflies, Tidus spotted a door and took off running towards it. He had just leapt through it and took off up a set of stairs when he saw the last thing he thought he'd see there. Lorelei and Maea stood at the top of the stairs discussing something in Al Bhed. Tidus flattened himself to the wall and attempted to listen, but the ball of panicky looking pyreflies gave him away. He didn't know why he felt like hiding from the two women, but he did. Tidus flinched when he heard their footsteps hurrying down the stairs. "There! I told you he'd escape!" Maea cried in Al Bhed, pointing at Tidus with an angry look in her eyes Tidus hadn't seen in the time they'd spent with the Kohlso. The Elder shook her wizened head and grabbed Tidus by the shoulders. He cried out at the pincer-like grip the old Kohlso possessed. 'Shut up you! We do not need your yelps!" Tidus squirmed as Lorelei and Maea stalked back down the stairs, carrying him between them. They re-entered the creepy chamber with the dead guys and Tidus panicked.  
  
'Let me go! Come on!" He yelled, employing a little more strength then he would've deem nessecary to break free of anyone else to leap away from them. Lorelei growled and Maea cried out in some weird language. The Kohlso threw herself down onto all fours and leapt at Tidus who srpang away towards the doorway. Suddenly, the pyreflies were back, swirling around Tidus and confused his escape path. Shouting, Tidus pulled his sword out and slashed at the tiny light balls. It seemed to at least anger them since they backed away and let him run back up the stairs. Tidus could hear the Kohlso's galloping pursuit and Maea's encouraging yells for Lorelei to "Bring him back". Panting, the blonde paused at the top of the stairs to scope the surroundings. He noted quickly that it seemed like he was back in the ice caves of the Kohlso. Before he had a chance to even get confused as to the connection between the Kohlso and weirdo, not himself Auron, Tidus heard Lorelei's roar a little too close for comfort.   
  
Without a second thought, Tidus took off down a narrow side path that seemed to lead him up. His only thoughts centered around getting up and out of there as fast as possible. He was so focused on his objective that he didn't noticed when the concentration of pyreflies in the tunnel became thicker and thicker. Nor did he hear the odd chants of what seemed like many, many people. He also didn't notice when he had burst into another chamber filled with pyreflies and dead bodies. The only thing he noticed was that the sounds of his pursuers were gone. Smirking, he paused to catch his breath near the center of the circular chamber he had wandered into. This one didn't have symbols or skeletons, just dead Kohlso littered across the floor, their bodies twisted and broken. Tidus took a deep breath as his wide eyes roved across the death in this room. It reeked of rot and carnage, the smells of death that choked him and made him cough. The pyreflies in the room were streaming from the bodies and from the hallway Tidus had run from towards a figure standing in the middle of the room.  
  
Tidus noted the fact that he was standing VERY close to whatever it was that was calling the pyreflies to it. He heard the chanting from the hall grow louder and he recognized Auron's voice mixed in with many others. He turned from the glowing figure surrounded by thousands of pyreflies towards the doorway. Just as he thought, Auron walked in leading a procession of zombie-like Kohlso to their apparent doom. Tidus ran towards his mentor and shook him violently. "Auron! AURON! Snap out of it! You've gotta stop-" He was silenced by Auron's sudden violent response. The man grabbed Tidus by the shoulders and threw him into the wall. Tidus cried out in pain and cast a Curaga on himself before stumbling to his feet. Auron continued towards the center of the chamber, chanting along with the rest of them. The blonde blitzer could only watch as the man he had once considered his father figure stepped aside when they reached the center of the room.  
  
The figure surrounded by the pyreflies turned as the procession of Kohlso stopped, their chanting silenced. The figure spoke and it sent chills down Tidus' spine. It was a female speaking, but it didn't hold any gentleness of a human female. It was a hard, heartless voice that echoed loudly in the chamber. "You have come to return to the beginning, the end of your meaningless existence. You have come here to energize me, your creator. The Origin of All Things calls you to die!" With that, a wave of energy rushed through the group of Kohlso and Tidus turned away from their screams. He heard them be thrown about and die. He heard dying children whimper for their mothers who were already dead. He heard bones break, necks snap, last breaths breathed. Then he heard something entirely out of place. Laughter. The figure in the center of the room was laughing.   
  
Tidus whirled around and gaped at the figure, now quite visible through the pyreflies. It was the woman from his nightmares about dying, a woman floating above the chamber floor a good five feet. Her long hair flowed around her, seeming to melt into her flowing dress. Her skin was pale like white marble and her eyes were completely blank. They glowed with an odd light, but had no features at all. They looked like the eyes of a statue before the sculptor added pupils and irises. In fact, her garments and hair glowed and shimmered like the pyreflies at wove around her. But, prehaps the one thing that caused Tidus to collapse in shuddering fear was the symbol on her forehead. It was the same one that had been etched near his own symbol in the death chamber. This thing was there to kill him. 


	15. Unlikely Savior

AN: ACK ACK ACK!!! i had a wave of inspiration and i HAD to write this chappie! of course, it doesn't exactly explain to the fullest all the ideas jumping around in my head, but it maybe the next chappie...well, i may not have time to write so much anymore 'cuz i got a job. yes, a slacker supreme got a job. oh well! posts may be a little spaced out, but the quality won't be spacy, i hope....READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
SA  
  
Ch.15 Unlikely Savior  
  
Yuna stared at the ceiling above her, eyes unfocused and seemingly somewhere else entirely. Rikku sat in a chair next to her cousin's bed while the others moved the Bevelle survivors out of the airship. They had landed in Luca, one of the last remaining strongholds against the tide of chaos. Deeming it safe, Paine had instructed all the non-Gullwings or world leaders to leave quickly. Rikku was worriedly watching Yuna as she stared mindlessly at the ceiling. Her green and blue eyes were so different, so hostile when they looked at you. The blonde Al Bhed had thought Yuna would be the last person to go crazy in this situation. But, then again, Rikku didn't really know the feeling of watching the man you love being snatched aaway from you twice. Rikku could only sit there and wipe away her own tears, hoping to whatever powers-that-be that Yunie would come back to her okay; that Yunie's MIND would come back, that is.  
  
Within the insanity gripped mind, Yuna was playing the scenes in which Tidus disappeared, both of them, over and over again. Each time Tidus disappeared, she slipped further into the dark fog that was consuming her mind. She had no clue what was going on around her or even if anything WAS around her. Her only concern was staring at the images of Tidus in her mind. Every once and a while, something would be wrong with one of the moments within her memories. Auron would be standing next to Tidus on Cid's airship right before the blonde dream took off running into oblivion. Auron was standing behind Tidus with his hand on the boy's shoulder, smirking, as the pyreflies consumed his form. The teeny things that were off about the images were starting to anger Yuna, even in her insane state. She knew when something wasn't right despite the fact that any time she spoke it was of the dead people taking over the world.  
  
Suddenly, as her anger slipped through her mind, overtaking the images of Tidus and making its own place, every memory her mind could recall rushed into her thoughts. The day her father left for his pilgrimage, the day she took up summoning in Besaid, the day she fell down the steps of the temple chasing Wakka, the day she became a Summoner, the night she had her first conversation and much, much more. Anything and everything that happened on her pilgrimage flashed across her mind's eye in rapid succession. Glimpses of Seymour in his various stages of insanity, each one of her guardians in agony at the thought of losing her, Tidus in the glowing blue light of the Sphere Spring in Macalania the night they finally kissed. This image threw her mind into spasms and she sat up in her bed, a scream tearing out of her.  
  
Rikku jumped out of the chair she was sitting in and leapt onto Yuna's writhing body. She had been trying to tear her hair out or smash her head; either way, Rikku stopped her with her petite form. "Yunie! YUNIE! What is it? What's wrong? Please tell me..." She sobbed into Yuna's suddenly still shoulder. "Please." Rikku whispered, shaking with her tears. Yuna's crazy eyes looked down on her with what could've been recognition. She seemed to be fighting the fog that had gripped her mind and driven her insane. Just as she was about to make a revelation, Brother's voice boomed over the PA system. "Rikku! Get down here, on the double! We need you on the bridge, pronto!" Yuna slumped slightly, her head lolling to the side and her eyes closing again. Rikku stood and wiped her tears off her cheeks. She stood there and stared at her beloved cousin for a minute before hurrying off to do Brother's bidding.  
  
Yuna's mind immediately filled with the loud memories of all the people she had helped over the years. Facing of people desperate for her assistance or merely needing her to wipe out a few pesky fiends for them. Children, senior citizens, grown men and women; thousands of faces she had seen and all these people she had met in her time as a Summoner and as a sphere hunter. So many voices. It was getting loud in her head. She couldn't hear him anymore, the whistle that was Tidus. She couldn't hear it anymore. Where was he? Why wasn't he there with her, protecting her from her insanity? Where was he? Just as the crescendo of panic reached its peak, a voice spoke to Yuna through her mind. It wasn't a voice she had ever heard before, but it was soothing nonetheless. It was speaking and it sounded faraway; Yuna wished her other thoughts would shut up so she could hear the new voice. Suddenly, as if by her own power, all the memories roaring in her head stopped. Dead silence fell around her thoughts and all that could be heard was the new voice. Now Yuna could make out what it was saying.   
  
"Child of light, follow me to the land of sands. I will grant you the power you need to reclaim your dream. Child of hope, follow me to the exiled island and I shall give you the thing you need to bring this dying world salvation." The soothing voice was obviously male and sounded somewhat familiar to Yuna. As the man spoke, her mind cleared of the insanity fog that had fallen, dulling her thoughts and making her crazy. Clarity seized her mind and she realized what the man was telling her to do. Go to Bikanel Island and find him so she could get the power she needed to find Tidus AND save the world. She wasn't quite sure how the two tied together yet, but she was filled with hope suddenly. "Where in Bikanel?" She asked the voice. A moment of silence followed in which Yuna could swear she heard the voice humming a song she hadn't heard since her pilgrimage. "You will hear my song and find the place of worship where I reside. I have no time left to speak with you; hurry!" Yuna sat up in bed again, a little surprised at the panic in the calm voice's last statement.   
  
Standing up and shaking off the last effects of a Stop spell, she hurried to the lift. Her mind was filled with the one hope that she had to cling to. Some mysterious power was calling her to Bikanel and she wasn't going to ignore it. It promised her salvation and she wasn't about to refuse this. A fleeting image of Tidus as she had last seen him made her stop mid-step to the lift. 'Tidus...' She thought, putting her hand over her heart as if that was going to stop it from pounding like it was. Like that was going to stop the pain that was ripping through it. Taking a deep breath and pushing aside the tears welling up in her eyes, Yuna took a few confident strides onto the lift and pressed the button to go to the bridge.   
  
Rikku, who had just been spoken to by an odd voice in her head, was standing near the computer Kuron used on the ship. She was gripping his shoulder for support; what was that creepy guy trying to tell her to do? Go to Bikanel? Why? To save the dream and the world? She felt Kuron's hand on hers and she shook herself out of her thoughts. Her eyes found his and she felt a jolt of joy. He looked so concerned about her, like she was the only thing he cared about. Smiling a little, Rikku leaned down and kissed him gently, to reassure him that she was fine. He lifted an eyebrow, but didn't complain about the way she showed her normality. Paine walked over to where the blonde girl was just standing back up. Her eyes held a furious question and she pulled Rikku over to the side of the bridge, away from the murmuring crowd. "Rikku, I just heard a voice in my head. It told me to go to Bikanel so it could grant me with powers. I-" "You too? That just happened to me!" Rikku whispered back with the same urgency. Paine nodded as if she suspected that much. "What should we do about it? People aren't going to exactly jump at the voices in our heads as authority figures."  
  
Rikku was about to say something when a voice she didn't expect to hear rang across the bridge with a reassuring authority and calmness. "Brother, set a course for Bikanel Island! We have an appointment there we have to make it to. Let's go Gullwings!" Rikku and Paine ran over to Yuna where she stood, pointing out of the Celsius and onto Bikanel. 'Yunie!" "Yuna!" They cried at the same time, both smothering her in a bear hug. A slight chuckle rose in the bridge. "Are you sure you're ok? I mean, is everything better now?" Yuna smiled down at her blonde cousin gently and nodded. "I'm fine. I just needed time to sort through some thoughts, is all." Paine regained her composure and fixed Yuna with a piercing look. "So you heard the voice, too?" Yuna nodded, her eyes getting distant as she thought of the voice. 'I trust it. I think we should go and see what it means by 'power'." With that and a reassuring smile, Yuna hurried down to speak with the world leaders and Brother about the plan. Rikku and Paine stood there and watched her with awe written on their faces.   
  
No one thought to question Yuna, especially when she was backed up by an adamant Paine and a slightly less enthused Rikku. The YRP trinity was back in action and the Celsius was on its way to Bikanel Island to see what the mysterious voice had to offer. Yuna stood waiting on the deck, wringing her hands nervously and pacing. Rikku and Paine watched, a little confused and thrown off by this. An hour ago, the former high summoner had been 100% sure about this voice. Now it seemed like she wasn't quite so sure anymore. Just as the sands of the desert isle slipped into view, Yuna spun around. A question formed on her lips that remained unspoken because Paine shouted loudly all of the sudden. "Yuna! Don't even say it! I know exactly what you're thinking and we can't think anything like that right now. You know we have to trust ourselves even if that means trusting some freaky voice." The usually quiet, stern warrior glanced back at Rikku who nodded, stepping up to Yuna. "Yunie, this may be our only hope to get Tidus back and stop all this crazy business around Spira." The spunky blonde paused for a second, thought, and then a smirk climbed onto her lips. 'And besided, what do we have to lose? Its not like we have much left around here to destroy." Rikku indicated the desolate desert they were landing on and the sarcasm in her words echoed Lulu.   
  
Yuna smiled, a confident look crossing her face. "You guys are right. What's the point in worrying? Let's just go!" Trading mischievious glances, the three girls leapt off the still landing Celsius. Their laughter echoed onto the deck and off into the desert. As Yuna stood and brushed some sand off her shorts, she heard Gankee call down to them. "Where do you think you're going, ladies?" All three girls looked up to see Gankee, Kuron, and Kimahri standing above them. Yuna was about to call out to them, telling them to come along when a sudden urge to go it alone took her over. Rikku and Paine seemed to share her sentiments when they both waved and took off running into the dunes. Yuna shrugged up at the boys and followed her two friends, trying not to think about how silly this whole venture seemed.  
  
Kuron sighed heavily as he watched Rikku and the others run away. Gankee crossed his arms and sighed as well. Kimahri grunted, a smile on his cat-like features. Kuron caught this and gaped at the Ronso Elder. "How can you be smiling at a time like this? We've got less than a week to figure out how to save Spira and our three best chances of doing that are running off to who-knows-where right now! Its not funny!" Gankee placed a sobering hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. Kimahri turned to go back into the ship, tossing a vague comment over his shoulder. "They are strong. They know what they are doing. Eventhough Yuna is sad and worried about Tidus, she still goes on. Trust in that strength." Then the big blue beast was gone onto the lift, whooshing off to the bridge. Kuron was about to start yelling about the philosophies of animals when Gankee started to speak.  
  
"I'm worried, Kuron. Worried about father." Kuron choked on his rant and stared at his twin for a moment. He felt the emotions he had been quelling rise up into his throat suddenly. "Yeah, I am too." He whispered, sitting on the deck surface with a thud. Gankee sat beside him and lazily traced some of the painted-on lines that made up the intricate pattern on the surface. Kuron gazed out at the desert thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Do ya think he'll come back? Or do ya think he's-" "No! I'm sure he's coming back. I'm sure..." Gankee trailed off and joined Kuron study of the horizon. Their only true hope lay in the three girls rushing off into the desert, following the advice of a vaguely familiar voice. This seemed to trouble both of them greatly.  
  
Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stood in the middle of sandstorm, desperately trying to continue moving. After sprinting away from the ship, they remembered that they had no clue where they were going. Before any of them could panic or even think about turning back, a shockingly famliar voice singing a horribly familiar song filled their minds. Upon hearing the song she never thought she'd ever hear again, Yuna silenced her laughter, her words, even her thoughts and strode on purposefully. The Hymn of the Fayth strummed in her head and heart like a bittersweet fanfare. She knew the voice was leading her to where she needed to go. Her feet were doing the voice's bidding now. Rikku and Paine seemed to be in the same boat as Yuna because they walked in step with her, never speaking. Now, though, they were fighting the sandstorm valiantly, their eyes burning, their breath labored. They didn't know where they were or even what direction they were facing. They were utterly lost and yet, not. Suddenly, Rikku fell to the ground, screaming something about giving up. Paine and Yuna yanked her back up onto her feet and they continued on. This was no time for weakness, they seemed to know this.   
  
After what seemed like too long, the sandstorm died down. When the girls had managed to rub all of the sand out of their eyes, they were floored by what they saw. A ruined building that looked like it belonged in Zanarkand sat sticking out of the sand at an awkard angle. It was obviously recently uncovered by the sandstorm, sand still pouring out of empty windows and doorless doorways. "What is this?" Rikku muttered, confused as to why this ruin hadn't been discovered before now. Paine stared at the building in awe, speechless. Yuna stepped forward and almost collapsed when she saw a familiar face within a glassless window in the ruin. "Yunie?" Rikku cried, grabbing Yuna's shoulder as the girl shivered slightly. "What is it? What did you see?" Paine asked, glancing where Yuna was staring. "You didn't see her?" Yuna gasped, pointing at the building with a shaky hand. They both shook their heads. Before any of them could speak another word, the Hymn intensified in their minds and they began walking again.  
  
When the three girls had reached in innermost chamber of the building, the singing stopped. It was black as night inside that room and none of them knew what to do next. It seemed liked this had been some crazy goose chase after all. Paine was about to suggest that they leave when the voice they had all heard in their heads spoke again. "Wait. Please don't leave yet." The Gullwings girls flinched as a light flooded the room, illuminating their speaker. Rikku gasped, Paine shook her head, and Yuna made a choked noise in her throat. The voice that had summoned them there was one of the last people any of them would've suspected. Yuna mentally chided herself for not recognizing the voice earlier. Her mismatched eyes filled with tears at the sight of him. She took a few steps forward and whispered a single word. "Daddy...?"  
  
AN: WHOA!!!! BRASKA??? what does everyone think of that little twist? huh huh HUH? it was originally going to be Lenne summoning them, then Seymour, then Yuna's mom, and then i finally settled on Braska. his story was easier to explain in my head. anyhoo, i need a little input here because although i have an IDEA of where i want the story to go, i don't REALLY know how i want it to get there. so, here's a question for all you readers to answer in a review: would you like to see the return of all the aeons? if yes, would you be willing to accept a whole new generation of fayths? PLEASE REVIEW AND ANSWER THIS! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!  
  
SA 


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